2

︱Titans of Textile
 CONTENTS
FOREWARD ........................................................................................................... 5
INDIAN TEXTILE INDUSTRY ........................................................................................................... 7
INTERVIEWS WITH TITANS ......................................................................................................... 17
THIAGARAJAR MILLS (P) LIMITED ---Mr. KARUMUTTU T.KANNAN ....................................... 18
SHRI RAMALINGA MILLS LIMITED ---Dr. DINAKARAN ................................................................... 22
EASTMAN EXPORTS ---Mr. CHANDRAN ................................................................... 26
KG FABRIKS LIMITED ---Mr. K G BAALAKRISHNAN .............................................30
POPPY’S KNIT WEAR ---Dr. SAKTHIVEL ..................................................................... 34
B.K.S.TEXTILES PRIVATE LTD ---Mr. SENTHILKUMAR ......................................................... 38
JANSONS INDIA - TEXTILE DIVISION ---Mr. NATARAJAN ................................................................... 44
ASIAN FABRICX PRIVATE LIMITED ---Mr. VENKATAACHALAM ................................................ 48
KAY VENTURES PVT LTD ---Mr. SUSINDRAN .................................................................. 52
KPR MILL LIMITED ---Mr. K.P.RAMASAMY .......................................................... 56
MCR TEXTILES ---Mr. M.C.ROBIN & Mr. M.C.RIXON .............................. 60
K.K.BALUSAMY & CO ---Mr. K.K. BALUSAMY .......................................................... 66
FOUR SEASONS INTERNATIONAL ---Mr. VISWANATHAN ............................................................ 70
VISHAL BHARATH TEXTILES ---Mr. MURUGESH .................................................................... 74
SURYA COTTON FABRICS ---Mr. DURAISAMY .................................................................. 78
RAJAPALAYAM MILLS LIMITED (RAMCO) ---Mr. VENKETRAMA RAJA ................................................ 86
PALLAVA TEXTILES PRIVATE LIMITED ---Mr. DURAI PALANISAMY ............................................... 90
PREMIER MILLS PVT. LTD ---Dr. SRINIVASAN .................................................................. 94
WARSAW INTERNATIONAL ---Mr. RAJA SHANMUGAM ................................................. 98
RAMARAJ COTTON ---Mr. NAGARAJAN ................................................................ 102
SCM TEXTILE SPINNERS ---Mr. VINAYAKAM .................................................................. 110
SHOBIKAA IMPEX PVT LTD ---Mr. SIVASAMY ...................................................................... 114
SSM ACADEMY OF TEXTILE MANAGEMENT ---CAVALIER’ Dr. M.S.MATHIVAANAN ....................... 118
LOYAL TEXTILES ---LATE Mr. MANIKAM RAMASWAMI ........................ 122
VIKING ---Mr. EASWARAN .................................................................. 124
PENQUIN APPARELS (P) LTD ---Mr. ANBUKANI .................................................................... 128
JVS EXPORTS ---Mr. BRITTO ............................................................................ 132
ATLAS EXPORT ENTERPRISES ---Mr. NACHIMUTHU ............................................................ 136

3
‘‘Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful, committed, people
can change the world. Indeed, it is
the only thing that ever has.’’
—Margaret Mead
 Foreword
Foreword
Dear Friends,

India and Tamil Nadu have been well-known In order to encourage and motivate young
as strong textile centers ever since the ancient entrepreneurs, we thought of capturing the
eras. Like our languages and rich and flavor- experiences of textile industry leaders in a book.
ful cuisines, our textile products also have a These leaders are not only successful business
strong connection with every one of our regions, people, but role models for the industry and bud-
lifestyles, and climates. ding young individuals.

Over the years, the Indian textile industry has We are proud and thankful to all of the top-class
harnessed this strength to evolve as a for- veterans for their time and for their encouraging
midable force, breaking many barriers and words in the creation of this project.
boundaries in the world. Fashion and design are
becoming universally popular, which proposes We believe that Texvalley as a trading center will
a unique opportunity for countries like India and continue to move in the right direction by ta-
states like Tamil Nadu. king all the guidance administered by industry
leaders, government officials, and elected
Textiles have become a major economic acti- representatives to make Erode among the top
vity in the country, with high quality raw mate- destinations for quality textile product sourcing.
rials, good climatic conditions, and skilled wor-
kers available. As a result, a large number of our Best wishes and greetings from Texvalley,
manufacturers and traders have established
themselves as world leaders. Young entrepre-
neurs looking at this activity as an avenue to Vazhga Valamudan
explore and make an impact in their careers
can learn many positive lessons from industry
leaders who have pioneered the space and
paved the way for rapid growth.
 Indian Textile Industry Market Size
India’s textile industry, dating back several centu- The Indian textiles industry is currently estimated
ries, is one of the oldest industries in the country’s at around US $150 billion. It is expected to reach US
economy. With hand-spun and hand-woven $250 billion by 2019. Textiles contributed to 7% of all
textile sectors at one end of the spectrum and the industry output in India (in value terms) in 2017–18.
capital-intensive, sophisticated mills sector at the In the same year, it contributed to 2% of India’s GDP,
other end of the spectrum, the textile industry in employed more than 45 million people, and contri-
India is rich with variation. The largest component of buted to 15% of India’s export earnings.
the industry, however, is comprised of the decentra-
lized power looms and hosiery and knitting sectors.
The Road Ahead
The close link between the textile industry to agricul-
ture as well as ancient cultural traditions make Indian The future for the Indian textile industry looks promi-
textiles unique in comparison to industries of other sing, buoyed by both strong domestic consumption
countries. Because of its rich history and variety as well as export demand.
of sectors, India has had the capacity to produce
an array of products suitable to different market With consumerism and disposable income on the
segments, both within the country and across the rise, the retail sector has experienced a rapid growth
world. During the 2017–18 fiscal year, India’s textile in the past decade with several international players
exports stood at US $39.2 billion. entering the Indian market. The rising disposable
︱Titans of Textile

8
 Indian Textile Industry

“ Textiles contributed to 7% of all

industry output in India (in value
terms) in 2017/2018.”

income is a result of economic growth. This has led

to a rise in the demand for products, creating a huge
domestic market. The textile and apparel industry
can be broadly divided into two segments: 1) yarn
and fiber and 2) processed fabrics and apparel.

The domestic textile industry in India is estimated

to reach US $223 billion by the 2021 fiscal year from
US $150 billion in November 2017. India’s cotton
production, on the other hand, is estimated to have
reached 34.9 million bales in the 2018 fiscal year. In
the 2019 fiscal year, growth in private consumption The fundamental strength of the textile industry in
is expected to create an even greater domestic India is its strong production base of a wide range
demand for textiles. of yarn from natural fibers like cotton, jute, silk, and
wool to synthetic or man-made fibers like polyes-
An increase in organized retail, favorable demogra- ter, viscose, nylon, and acrylic. India’s textiles in-
phics, and rising income levels are likely to drive the dustry contributed to 7% of the country’s industry
demand for textiles as well. Cloth production stood output (in value terms) in 2017–18. It contributed to
at 28.9 billion square meters (provisional) in the 2019 2% to India’s GDP, employed more than 45 million
fiscal year, making India the world’s second largest people, and contributed to 15% of India’s export
exporter of textiles and clothing. earnings in 2017–18.

Textile and apparel exports from India are expected India’s home textile industry is expected to expand
to increase to US $82 billion by 2021. India’s textile to US $8.2 billion in 2021 from US $4.7 billion in 2014.
and apparel exports reached US $13 billion in the India accounts for 7% of the global home textiles
2019 fiscal year. Manmade garments remain the trade. The superior quality of products that Indian
largest contributor to India’s total textile and appa- companies produce make them desirable in the US
rel exports, contributing to 24.53% to all textiles. and the UK, contributing to two thirds of their exports.
In the past few years, Indian products have gained a
significant market share in global home textiles. With
growing household incomes, increasing populations,
and growing sectors like housing, hospitality, and
healthcare, the home textile industry is expected to

9
 grow even more. In 2018*, the Indian home textile clothing needs and stands next to only Assam
industry reached US $4.95 billion. in terms of number of looms. Various plans for
clusters of handlooms have been launched in Tamil
Nadu with central and state assistance under the
Textiles in Tamil Nadu Integrated Handloom Development scheme.

The textile industry of Tamil Nadu has a significant The readymade garments and home textile sectors,
presence in national and state economies, as it is which are mainly geared toward foreign or interna-
the forerunner in industrial development and in tional markets, are heavily dependent upon power
providing massive employment to the state. Han- loom sectors to meet their fabric requirements.
dlooms, power looms, spinning, processing, and The textile sector in Tamil Nadu is predominant-
garments and hosiery encompass the various sec- ly spinning-oriented. There are large, medium,
tors of Tamil Nadu’s textile industry. and small spinning mills in India, many of which
are located in Tamil Nadu. The yarn they produce
Specifically, the handloom sector occupies a place accounts for 40% of India’s total yarn production
of pride in preserving the country’s heritage and and stands as the number one producer of various
culture. It plays a vital role in the economy of the varieties of yarn in the country.
state with its long tradition par excellence in its
craftsmanship and also provides employment to
half a million weavers. The handloom sector in Tamil
Nadu has played a crucial role in meeting people’s
︱Titans of Textile

10
 Indian Textile Industry

“Tiruppur is the country’s largest

exporter of knitwear.”

Erode is the heart of the region’s textiles, as it is

surrounded by a huge number of textile manufac-
turing industries located in Salem, Coimbatore,
Tiruppur, Karur, Namakkal, Palladam, and
Pallipalayam. A large number of spinning mills
are located in Coimbatore, also known as the
Manchester of South India. Tiruppur is the country’s
largest exporter of knitwear. The Erode region
produces a wide range of textile products, including
greige fabrics, yarn and woven fabric, handloom and
khadi, finished garments, and more, which caters
to the demand of both domestic and international
markets.

Erode is in fact South India’s largest textile trading

hub with a 200-year-old heritage of cotton, produ-
cing about 47% of the state’s total textile needs. With
over 5 Lakh artisans and over 2.5 Lakh looms, this
region has been directly involved in the supply of
rich cotton products for ages. The cluster produces
15 million meters of fabric every day.

From Kanchipuram silk sarees to Bhavani carpets

(Jamukkalam) to Madurai sungudi and Salem silk
dhotis, Erode and Karur home textiles continue to
be universally recognized for their excellent quality.
The cities of Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruchengode,
and Tirupur in Tamil Nadu are the largest garment
exporters in India. More than 7,000 garment units
in Tamil Nadu provide employment opportunities to
more than one million people.

11
 «India is the world’s second
largest textile exporter.»

The Industry Forecast Opportunities

There is a rise in demand for exports. The increasing There is an immense potential for growth, as the Indian
demand in the domestic market is due to evolving textile industry is buoyed by both strong domestic
tastes and preferences. Growing populations are consumption as well as export demand. The popula-
driving demand for textiles, and rising incomes have tion is expected to reach to 1.34 billion by the 2019
been a key determinant of domestic demand for the fiscal year.
sector; with incomes rising in the rural economy, the
upward push upon demand from the income side is Urbanization is expected to support higher growth
set to continue. Rising industrial activities will also due to changes in fashion and trends. With consu-
support the growth in the per capita income. merism and disposable income on the rise, the
retail sector has experienced a rapid growth in the
India is the world’s second largest textile exporter. past decade with several international players. The
︱Titans of Textile

Export capacity, built over many years, has led to a low organized apparel segment is expected to grow, and
cost of production per unit in India’s textile industry, India and Bangladesh plan to increase their coope-
and this has given the country a a strong competitive ration in order to increase investments and trading
advantage relative to their key global peers. The strong of jute and fabrics.
performance of textile exports is reflected in the value
of exports from the sector over the years. In coming
decades, Africa and Latin America could very well turn
out to be key markets for Indian textiles.

12
Indian Textile Industry

13
 ︱Titans of Textile

14
15
" You must be very patient, very
persistent. The world isn’t going to
shower gold coins on you just
because you have a good idea.
You’re going to have to work like
crazy to bring that idea to the
attention of people.”
—Herb Kelleher
 Introduction
Introduction

Titans of Textiles celebrates the great people

who have pioneered Tamil Nadu’s textile
industry.

The textile industry prides itself on providing

one of the three basic needs to mankind. But
our world of textiles and fashion can sometimes
feel pretty de-humanizing. It’s easy to forget that
every garment or fabric we wear and use are the
result of hard work and struggle by real people.
That’s why we put together Titans of Textiles—to
offer a window into the lives and work of those
people.

Through face-to-face interviews, we learned

about 26 titans and their journeys in the wor-
ld of textiles, their talents, their abilities, their
successes, as well as their opinions on market
opportunities and forecasts for the future of the
industry. We looked beyond the conventional
definitions for ‘success’, putting a spotlight on
the people, projects, and ideas that have shaped
textile companies.
 «But over a period of
time, I am afraid, our
industry is losing some
of our strength mostly
due to entrepreneurial
defaults.»

Mr. T. Kannan serves as Managing Director at Thiagarajar Mills

Limited and has had an enormous impact on the textile industry.

Thiyagarajar
︱Titans of Textile

18
Mills (P) Ltd
 Interviews

I studied at the Thiagarajar Model School and Later, I realized that we could provide better value to
Thiagarajar College at Madurai. Madurai has a the Sevarthis if the temple made its own prasadams.
unique culture, which is built around the temple and At that time, it was being outsourced and fetching
other institutions around it. In 2004, I was invited to an annual revenue of Rs. 25 Lakhs. When the temple
head the Temple Trust Board quite unexpectedly by started to do this in-house, the quality and sales
the then-Chief Minister Dr. Jayalalithaa. Later, when skyrocketed. Ten years later, I am happy to say that the
the change of government occurred, Dr. Kalaignar temple is netting Rs. 3.00 Crores and more out of the
was magnanimous in asking me to continue serving, avenue of prasadam alone.
despite the fact that I was appointed by the earlier
regime. Next, we had the challenge of the “Potramarai
Kulam” being filled with water. The solution to this
My first priority at the temple was to ensure its was provided by Prof. Gettu of IIT, Chennai. He gave
cleanliness. A view prevailed at that time that lakhs a very simple solution: he asked us to pour pure
of people came to the temple every day, so it would clay instead of concrete on the floor. I am happy
be a futile exercise to attempt any deep cleaning. to say that for the last 6 years and more, this has
This was a major challenge, and we set out to inspire been a success, and we have been able to restore
a serious mindset change amongst the temple staff. the Potramarai Kulam. I was uniquely privileged to
I am happy to say that this was possible in a very conduct the “Kumbabishekam” in the year 2009.
short time. Our staff rose to the occasion, and we
were able to install a whole new culture, which is
now deep-rooted at temple. As a result, last year we «But looking back, I have to
were able to win the “Swachh Iconic Place Award”
(all India basis).
say that I learned more from
my parents at home than
from formal education.»
19
 Looking back, I have to say that I learned my way of When you do your schooling at home—provided
solving problems from my parents at home rather that your family has the right atmosphere and
than from formal education. Our group was founded culture—you can learn a lot and gain more from that
by my father, Shri Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar, learning than you might from a hostel warden or a
who in his time (1893–1974) went on to establish 18 modern-day school principal.
textile mills, a bank, and an insurance company, in
addition to institutes of higher learning and over 10As far as textiles goes, Tamil Nadu has great stren-
schools. His value system was unique and clearly still
gths when it comes to textiles. It’s up to us to make
guides us to this day. Fairness to all was a guiding the best out of those strengths. The country’s most
light of his business principles, as well as charity. A
productive textile companies are situated there, and
percentage of his profits were always earmarked for we have accomplished one of the highest producti-
charity. vities and quality levels in textiles. But over a period
of time, I am afraid, we are losing some of our stren-
I was once asked by my father to explain why the two gth mostly due to entrepreneurial defaults.
sides of every company’s balance sheet are equal.
︱Titans of Textile

He went on to ask me why profit is considered a

liability and losses are considered an asset. If one
can answer these questions, then he understands
the fundamental principles of accounting. Today, I
pose these questions to commerce graduates who
come in for interviews, and I am sorry to say that 9
out of 10 of them are unable to answer me.

20
 «I believe that if you set your
mind to achieve something,
you are likely to achieve it
This is a competitive industry with low margins. Any
mistakes we make undoubtedly erode the profit rather than fail.»
margin. Many entrepreneurs have not paid due
attention to modernization and efficiencies, and
this has costed the industry. Innovation in products
and in marketing are absolutely essential, but often
ignored or taken for granted.

Another issue in this industry is herd mentality, which

is very prevalent. Many people don’t follow due
processes in day-to-day management. They tend
to follow rumors and advice from middlemen. This
has cost many companies dearly. B-2-B approaches
have to be developed and must become the norm
for this industry. If we keep these ideas in mind, then
Side Notes
things will dramatically improve. The next genera- Company Name
tion must drive these changes rather than follow
THIAGARAJAR MILLS (P) LIMITED
the time-honored approaches. ROCE—Return
on Capital Employed—must be every manager’s Founded
mantra. 1936

Often, people take shelter under the excuse “that Location

there is a textile crisis.” People have to get themsel- Madurai
ves out of that mindset. The job of a manager is to Founder
see opportunities, not look for excuses! I believe Mr. KARUMUTTU THIAGARAJAN
that if you set your mind to achieve something, you
CHETTIAR
are likely to achieve it rather than fail.
Key Person
Mr.KARUMUTTU T.KANNAN
Industry
Spinning
Markets
Domestic & Export
Website
http://www.tmills.com

21
 “I believed that maintaining
good relationships between
employees and their employers
was the backbone of
success.”

Renowned in the textile industry, Mr. T.R. Dhinakaran

is the Chairman of Shri Ramalinga Mills Limited.

Shri Ramalinga
︱Titans of Textile

Mills Limited
22
 Interviews

I was introduced to the textile industry by my father,

who ran a ginning factory while I was growing up.
My exposure to the industry inspired me to complete
my schooling at Ramakrishna Vidyalaya Mission,
Coimbatore, finish my intermediate at Anna University,
and then join the PSG Institutions. In 1961, I graduated
as a mechanical engineer.

I was a good learner. I accepted an opportu-

nity following my studies to serve as a trainee in
Sengottaiya Balram Verma Textiles for six months.
I then leased and led the Shanmugar Mills. Around
that time—the year was 1965—the great leader Mr.
Kamarajar established the Shri Ramalinga Mills
Limited, and the mills, which were primarily built to
support weavers and their craft, began operating
that same year.
“Necessity drives
I was very much interested in labor management. I
believed that maintaining good relationships between invention.”
employees and their employers was the backbone
of success. So, I made it my mission to mentor the trials before they could work effectively and safely.
handloom weavers. We also only had one bus to pick the laborers up
and drop them off at their different work stations.
It wasn’t an easy task, though, and I faced several
hurdles. For one, working at the mills required an To solve these issues and develop stronger
intimate knowledge of the machinery. Our weavers relationships with our employees at Shri Ramalinga
needed to be put through rigorous training and Mills, we brought in the worker’s education

23
 department. Every week, teachers arrived and
showed the weavers how to properly operate
the machinery, which helped tremendously. We
also eventually acquired eighteen buses, started
the Pattabi Textiles to understand the nuances
of handloom weaving, and received help from a
labor welfare committee. Through work committee
meetings, we were able to understand what basic
amenities our laborers needed and how we could
drive them to succeed in their lives and in the
workplace.

Due to the rise in cotton’s value, we’ve since bought

yarn from Guntur, Ahmedabad, and Gujarat and have
spun and promoted our products in domestic markets.
And with development and modernization, the power
loom has come into play, which has sharply raised the
value of cotton and fiber. Necessity drives invention—
the price of cotton has now reached high levels, and
modernization has brought viscose and polyester and
cotton blends into the market as well.

Even though machinery is more advanced these

days, we haven’t abandoned our employees. Rather,
we’ve promoted them or moved them to more
appropriate work departments, on top of continuing
to focus our attention on supporting handloom
weaving. We’ve also worked on optimizing worklo-
ads to benefit our employees.
︱Titans of Textile

24
Today, we at Shri Ramalinga Mills continue to work
toward the growth and betterment of the textile and
“We were able to unders-
spinning industries. I believe that the government tand what basic amenities
has to work on the fixed subsidies and taxes for the
growth of power loom and that industry leaders our laborers needed and
should focus on pollution control management. For
us, it’s all about maintaining a balance between how we could drive them to
accepting change and staying true to our roots and
our legacy.
succeed in their lives and in
the workplace."

Side Notes
Company Name
SHRI RAMALINGA MILLS LIMITED
Founded
1951
Location
AruppuKottai
Founder
Mr.T. RAMASAMY NAICKER
Industry
Spinning
Markets
Domestic & Export

25
 «My happiness lies in
giving employment to
more people»

A formidable force in Tamilnadu’s textile industry, Chairman and Managing Director

of Eastman Exports Sri. N. Chandran shares his pre-eminent journey from being a
graduate of arts to becoming an esteemed industrialist.

Eastman
︱Titans of Textile

Exports
26
 Interviews

«Behind every great

success there is a humble
beginning.»
Behind every great success there is a humble
beginning. In the year 1976, I began a small-scale
dyeing business with my brothers. Years passed.
The business flourished. And with time, my brothers
left the company to begin their own businesses.

I had foreseen the winds of change and staked the

future of my business upon deepening my knowledge
of textile chemistry, setting out to receive technical
training at a British company called the Imperial
Chemical Industry. Then, in the year 1983, everything
changed for my company. We were entering the
garments export. In spite of the fact that we faced
a severe impediment over the course of one year
following this move, my staff and I endured the ride
with passion and persistence, and so the company
thrived.

Ever since then, Eastman Exports has catered to

leading brands, department stores, boutiques, and
high street retailers all across the globe. I owe the
dynamic growth of the company to the valuable staff
members here. They leverage diverse competencies
and perspectives, reaping the benefits of synergy
while modeling organizational unity by sharing and
collaborative efforts.

27
 Our exceptional team of professionals consistently
creates high-quality products, satisfying the needs
«I have a motto. It is
of our customers and delivering products before “employment for everyone.”»
deadlines with support from our modern techno-
logical systems. We all stay close to the market and
constantly monitor worldwide requirements and
also follow a strict ethical code of conduct. Our
business deals are always transparent.
︱Titans of Textile

During the budding period of Eastman Exports,

I realized that a business needs to be consistent-
ly unique and innovative to succeed. That is the
reason why I have traveled all over the world: to
gain exposure to new ideas and seek out inspiration
that will ultimately benefit the company. I’ve met
international designers who inspired me to start a

28
designing studio in Amsterdam, an endeavor that
has allowed me to understand the in-depth nuances
of the fashion industry. I have also been inspired
to develop an innovative production process at
Eastman, where we use sustainable, eco-friendly,
and organic products. As a result of that practice,
our group has created several benchmarks and
established many milestones for the forthcoming
generation. We also support research and develop-
ment for the advancement of sustainability in
manufacturing apparel products, highly regarded
by the Government of India.

I have a motto. It is “employment for everyone.”

The quantum energy of Tirupur propels all of its
entrepreneurs forward in the voyage to success.
These senior entrepreneurs of Tirupur have inspired
me, and I am proud to have a positive and friendly
relationship with them, as they are the strength of
the city.

Side Notes
Company Name
EASTMAN EXPORTS
Founded
1983
Location
Tirupur
Founder
Mr.N. CHANDRAN
Industry
Spinning, Knitting
Markets
Domestic & Export
Website
http://www.eastmanexports.com

29
 «My advice to all budding
entrepreneurs is simply this:
work hard and be honest.»

Sri K.G. Balakrishnan, Executive Chairman of KG Denim

Limited, is a prominent industrialist and altruist.

KG Fabriks
︱Titans of Textile

30
Limited
 Interviews
Sri K.G. Govindasamy set foot on a remarkable
journey in 1932 when he founded KG Denim Limited.
While KG Denim was growing, so was I—in a family of
five brothers. The year was 1954, and I was fourteen,
beginning a magnificent journey of my own in the
textile industry by helping my father in his ginning
factory. In 1971 and 1974, we acquired Kannapiran
Mills and Kathir Mills, respectively, and so our work
with spinning mills began.

Individually, KG Denim
produces 10,000 pairs of
jeans per day.
The year 1991 marked the beginning of the striking
expedition, and KG Denim had by then become
the first of its kind in India and second in Asia. KG
Denim had flourished with cotton supplies culti-
vated in Coimbatore, and Coimbatore’s mild climate
had helped the growth of spinning mill industries
manifold, making it one of the reasons for the vast
growth in spinning mills around the area. But due to
a fall in cotton cultivation, KG Denim started impor-
ting materials from Andhra Pradesh and Madhya
Pradesh, as well as other places from Northern
India and elsewhere in the world.

«G Denim’s sales achie-

vements are the result of
hard work and extensive
traveling to gain customers
across the globe.»
Today, KG Denim caters to nearly half of the world.
They have expanded their sales to places like America,
Europe, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and
Egypt, to name just some countries. High demand
for their products makes their stabilized growth

31
 most favorable in the coming future. And I’m proud We foresee a massive growth in the industry due to
to say that KG Denim and Kannapiran Mills together high demand. In this period of growth, we continue to
have manufactured sixty million meters of products. aid our employees and listen to their needs by giving
Individually, KG Denim produces 10,000 pairs of jeansthem all of the basic amenities and a handsome pay
per day. in par with industry standards. We are also working
towards the expansion of other fibers like nylon and
One of the major reasons for our growth as a force polyester to keep up with the times.
in the textile industry is our team of exceptional
technology specialists and engineers. They define My advice to all budding industrialists is simply this:
standards not just in India, but in various other work hard and be honest.
countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.
Similarly, our sales achievements are the result
of our executive team’s hard work and extensive
travels to gain customers across the globe. The
team travels boundlessly to maintain customer
relationships, which we consider to be a core value
of the company. Our team also travels prevalently to
Italy and Germany to retrieve excellent machinery
for production.
︱Titans of Textile

32
Side Notes
Company Name
KG FABRIKS LIMITED
Founded
1994
Location
Coimbatore
Founder
Mr.K.G. BAALAKRISHNAN
Key Person
Mr. SRI HARI
Industry
Denim
Markets
Domestic & Export
Website
http://www.kgdenim.com

33
 «Hard work and
determination were
my keys to a sucessful
career in the trade and
knitting industry.»

Padmashri Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman and Managing Director of Poppys

Knitwear (P) Ltd. A pioneer in the field of knitwear manufacturing and exports
and an altruist, shares his insights and experiences.

Poppy’s
︱Titans of Textile

Knit wear
34
 Interviews
Every successful person has a story filled with
hurdles, and I am no exception. I hail from Tiruppur
in Southern India, where I started out as a young
and ambitious entrepreneur. I was the eldest of
five children in a closely-knit family. During my first
attempt at pre-university, I didn’t get through. I had
insisted on choosing a different field of work than my
father—I didn’t want to work in the police department
like he did—and one of my family friends suggested
that I complete an automobile course at TELCO
(TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company) in
Jamshedpur. So, at sixteen years old, I traveled to
Jamshedpur from Coimbatore, did an interview at
TELCO, and enrolled in the automobile course.

«Hard work and determination

were my keys to a successful
career in the trade and
export industries.»
My early days at TELCO were physically and mentally
demanding. After all, I had grown up in a close-knit
family and missed them. But enduring that difficulty
made me stronger. My experiences paved the way
for me to gain exposure to engineering, study Hindi
and English, and learn many, many life lessons.
Once I completed the course at TELCO, I started a
job at NM Group as a work manager, which I did
for two years. I then started a workshop of my own
in Chennai. As it was the early 70s, though, people
didn’t fully understand my educational background
or the caliber of an engineering graduate with
experience. I wasn’t taken very seriously.

In 1973, I took the capital of 50,000 from my father

and started a knitwear unit collaborating with
Gandhi Agencies. I was primarily running the unit
for domestic markets, which was focused on North
Indian markets where they traveled up to Kashmir.
In the period of 1973–1977, I gained contacts in the
North Indian market, and one of my friends brought

35
 an international buyer who ran merchandising
exports through various sources. In 1978, I started
my own export unit called Ashoka International
I’ve also worked with Central and State Government
along with the North Indian partnership.
officials, bringing in industrial parks, an inland
container depot, and schools like the National
Things were looking up. By 1980, Poppys Knitwear
Institute of Fashion Technology–TEA. I’ve helped
had become an established company in India. But an
bringing additional water to Tirupur for both
obstacle awaited me. One of my partners at Ashoka
Industrial and Domestic usage, and setting up of an
International left due to a difference in opinion, which
effective drainage system in the district, which was
landed me in some debt.
acknowledged by the Union Government of India.
I was also invited by UNIDO to present speeches
Though I paid my debts within three years, Ashoka
about establishing a successful trade and export
International was closed due to the losses we incur-
industry.
red. It was a difficult time. My father had passed
away in the service, and as the eldest son, I needed
to support the family. My determination to prove
myself filled me with courage, so I started an export
unit under Poppys Knitwear (P) Ltd.

Hard work and determination were my keys

to a successful career in the trade and export
industries. I’ve always kept target achievements
and have worked hard to meet those targets.
That hard work has paid off. In 1990, my company’s
value raised to 300 crores. I’ve also made it my
mission to serve others. I’ve been a member of the
AEPC Organization for three decades and thrice I
have been elected Chairman. With the help of AEPC
and the Tiruppur Exporters Association, I have
encouraged young minds and small-scale exporters
to get involved in internatinal and big-scale export.

«But enduring that difficulty

made me stronger.»
︱Titans of Textile

36
I’m honored to have been the first recipient of the
PADMASHRI award from the textile industry. I will Side Notes
continue to be involved in visionary projects and
initiatives and help the industry and our society Company Name
grow. POPPY’S KNIT WEAR
Founded
2003
Location
Tirupur
Founder
Dr. A. SAKTHIVEL
Industry
Knitting, Process, Garment, Printing
Markets
Exports
Website
http://www.poppysonline.com

37
 Sri. M. Senthil Kumar, Chairman of BKS Textiles,
shares his magnificent journey

BKS Textiles
︱Titans of Textile

Private Ltd
38
 Interviews

BKS exports started as as a proprietary company So most of the plants in Europe closed and they
in 1983 focusing mainly on the exports of home stopped buying greige from us. At that time we were
textiles otherwise known as made ups and fabrics. exporting to almost 20 countries, then we thought
Our early business was to concentrate and facilita- we will change the product portfolio - we choose
ting the sales of handloom products - Khadi. I slowly made ups; we started exporting finished products
moved on to power looms - started manufacturing for the first time. Now we do sales of about 150 Cr
on contract basis and sold the fabrics domestical- and about 90% are exported.
ly to Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Jaipur and few others
- these locations had good number of processing I had witnessed many ups and downs in the past
houses and facilities for printing and dying and one 4 decades such as policies changes, changes in
of the large buyers of greige fabrics. international scenario, etc.. One particular instance
changed the way i ran business completely; during
On the due course of working with the domestic 1986 we were supplying fabrics to a Mumbai based
buyers, i was contemplating myself on the opportu-
nities in the export market - but to export the basic
requirement was high quality and reasonable price
and delivery consistency. Soon i decided to get
myself into export; fortunately i was able to quickly
align with many importers, customers, and process
houses in Europe where the good demand for greige
fabric, it was a smooth ride till 2000.

During 2000, the European countries started to shut

down their processes houses due to rise in produc-
tion costs and competition emerging from china.
The greige fabrics and finished garments from China
were reaching them at much lower prices; it wasn’t
great idea for them to continue.

39
 merchant exporter who had a quota to send goods also a trigger for me realize that i shouldn’t be relying
to US & UK markets. All of a sudden US has imposed on someone and try to do it on my own. I stared
Ban on that particular fabric we were supplying to establishing contacts on my own and exports grown
the merchant who had to send it to the US client. I steadily ever since, we now manufacture made ups,
had invested all my production and have about half mostly into home segment - home textiles; also
million meters of fabric; I was not sure of what was caters to hotels. We are also manufacturing fabrics
going around as i had very little knowledge about for leading brands - we do have vertically integrated
︱Titans of Textile

it; I was fully dependent on this merchant exporter. production units end to end, but stayed away from
finished garments.
These products were made as per the specification
of the exporter; we were not able to sell it domesti- In the world every country wants to protect their
cally, as it was a made for special requirement.I tried employment - they all want to make in their country.
taking to him and to meet him and my attempts were So the potential of countries making garments are
not fruitful, it was a tough very scenario which was higher, but is not the case with fabric manufacturing;

40
as it requires good raw materials available in their youth. Now they form a united support system
volumes. Cotton, Polyester, Viscose are available and work as a happy team of three in making
in high quality and India is fiber rich, we have the landmark achievements.
technical skills; not to mention our spinning and
weaving infrastructure being one of the best in the As part of the younger generation, my daughters
world. It is almost impossible for many countries to believe that innovative practices result in a stron-
have all this in favor. Having said that there will be
ger, more exciting business. That’s why they are
good demand for fabrics and as a company we want committed to introducing automated machinery
to align with it. and upgraded software systems to the business.
Constantly striving to remain a step ahead of the
Looking at the current scenario global demand is competition, my daughters are working on impro-
growing, we are witnessing increased spending ving productivity all the time.
patterns, good market demand. Some tech disrup-
tions like online are here to stay - the method of In recognition of its continual improvement in export
sale has gone for a change but the materials remain performance, BKS was awarded Star Export House
the same. My daughters Sangeetha Velkrishna, and status by the government. We stand out for our use
Sudha Anand joined our business during 2005, and of sustainable products and sense of responsibility
helped the company reach new heights. They are toward our customers. The BKS Group also foresees
second-generation entrepreneurs of BKS Textiles, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotic
following in my footsteps after being exposed to the engineering implementation in the textile industry.
textile industry and becoming fascinated with it in Since we welcome innovation, we are excited for
that implementation to come.

Side Notes
Company Name
B.K.S.TEXTILES PRIVATE LTD
Founded
1985
Location
Tirupur
Founder
Mr.M.SENTHILKUMAR
«Even after we experienced Industry
setbacks, I still believed Woven Fabrics, Home Textiles
Markets
that a business could go Exports
global even while being Website
based in India.» http://www.bkstextiles.in

41
 Nature & City Scape
︱Titans of Textile

42
43
 «Even with all of the
success we’ve experienced,
we remain grounded and
modest.»
︱Titans of Textile

Mr. T.S. Natrajan, a celebrated textile industrialist and

benevolent person, is the Founder and Chairman of Jansons Group.

44
Jansons India
 Interviews
I was born in Tiruchengode in the year 1934. My
parents had moved to a place called Hatton in
Colombo when I was one year old. When I was
seven, we returned to Tiruchengode, and I conti-
nued my schooling until I received my SSLC. I
began working at a drug store in the year 1952 with
hopes of starting a pharmacy in the future. Destiny,
however, had other plans for me.

«Destiny, however, had

other plans for me.»
When I was working for this drug store, an official
in the Taluk office recognized my potential and
recruited me to the Taluk office for a daily wage of
Rs 2. I managed to continue my work for a year. In
the years 1953–54, I started practicing for the post
of Sanitary Inspector at Stanley Medical College,
and I continued my work as Sanitary Inspector in
the public works department for ten years after that
with a salary of Rs 200.

My life pivoted in the year 1964 after a proposition

from my brothers. That’s when I started contributing
to my family’s weaving business. This turned out to
be a foundation for magnificent success. We had 10
to 15 weaving units and expanded to a power loom
unit. In the early stages of the business, I used to
travel to Andhra and Karnataka to take orders. I
stayed for 15 days a month, coming back home to
support production for the other 15 days. This was
our monthly routine. The travel was irksome but it
our business. We also learned Telegu and Kannada
was necessary to create a successful foundation for
to expand our business’s potential.

We began selling dhotis for INR 2 or 2.50, and closed

the deal for Rs 200 per shop. Our partnership turned
out to be very sturdy, and we expanded our business
by starting a sizing unit in 1971. We were successful
in this new venture. Our sons joined hands to enrich
the business in the year ‘81. In ‘83, we split the
partnership to form the prodigious Jansons Group
from the original Nalvar Tex groups.

45
 Even with all of the success we’ve experienced,
«I stayed for 15 days a month, we remain grounded and modest. Enthusiasm and
supporting our employees remain the bases for our
coming back home to support group’s sensational success. Jansons has always
especially supported youngsters and fresh minds;
production for the other 15 we’ve brought our grandsons to the company, and
after six months of experience and training, added
days. This was our monthly them to the leadership team. Young generations
routine.» have helped us expand boundlessly to places like
Dubai.
Jansons, being a colossal success, helped us bring
As a brand new idea, our grandsons have even
new technologies from Mumbai and Ahmedabad
started fifty exclusive menswear showrooms in
to Tamil Nadu. Along with these technologies, we
places including Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh,
brought back experts from Somanur working in
and have introduced new kinds of dhotis, too.
Mumbai and started printing dhotis and lungis in
These experiences have shown us that innovation
12 colors. We started units in two locations with
as opposed to traditional ideas has a tremendous
around 3,000 employees. The idea of introducing
positive impact on businesses.
polyesters came as an inspiration from an exhibition
in Pondicherry.
︱Titans of Textile

46
Side Notes
Company Name
JANSONS INDIA - TEXTILE DIVISION
Founded
1983
Location
Tiruchengode
Founder
Mr.T.S. NATARAJAN
Key Person
Mr.T.N.THIRUKUMAR
Industry
Dhoties, Lungies, Finished
garments
Markets
Domestic & Exports
Website
http://www.jansonsgroup.com

47
 «Learning starts with asking
and exploring.»

N. R. Venkatachalam, talks about his incredible journey on

becoming a leader in the textile industry and shares
revealing beliefs about being a self-taught student.

Asian Fabricx
︱Titans of Textile

48
Private Ltd
 Interviews

«I recall, in my childhood
At first, we focused on domestic markets—but not
memories, the buzz of without a keen eye on the export market. We got our
first breakthrough with a customer from Denmark.
looms.» I performed the best I could, using all of my efforts
to deliver the product as I had promised to. It was
I was born in 1941 in a remote village in Nalli appreciated for its high quality, and this transaction
Goundanur, Kavinthapadi, Erode District, where motivated me to expand even more. Currently, we
weaving was a very popular activity. I recall, in my export to such places as the United States, Russia,
childhood memories, the buzz of looms. Naturally, I the Middle East, and the Far East.
developed an affinity for the industry.

Many years later, my brother-in-law advised me

to start a home textile business in Karur. Karur is
known for its exports of home textiles, and he saw
the potential of the Karur region to serve as a strong
home base for a textile manufacturing business.
Taking his advice, and confident in my belief that
Karur was the right place to achieve my dreams
of becoming a successful entrepreneur, I founded
Asian Fabricx in 1974.

I faced difficult hurdles in the first couple of years in

my business. In order to get a firm understanding of
the industry, I had to learn the processes of spinning,
winding, and wrapping, as well as the differences
between various fabrics and techniques. By embra-
cing this challenge and even failing a few times, I
became a stronger person.

49
 We have successfully collaborated with and handloom collaborations to make specific products
supported as many as 1,000 handloom families. like rag rugs, sarees, and special effect weaves.

In the year 2000, due to a decreased availability in My son, V. Ashok Ram Kumar, joined the business in
the work force and an emerging demand for more the late 90s in an active role as Managing Director.
production, we upgraded to power looms, auto jet Now, he runs the day-to-day business affairs with
looms, and air jet looms. We still maintain a few his professional team. He has been instrumental in
upgrading our facilities, adopting new technologies
and modernizing the machines. We make it a priority
︱Titans of Textile

to grow along with technology in order to match

the latest trends, which in turn satisfies our buyers.
Now, our facility at Karur has been transformed to
surpass international standards and supply global
brands and Fortune 500 companies.

50
I feel that everybody should be motivated to learn. Companies from India are renowned the world over
If they don’t understand something, they should for their workmanship and quality product delivery.
ask questions or explore opportunities to become I believe the future of the Indian textile industry is
self-taught. I tell this to everyone: learning starts with highly promising. With the government’s support,
asking and exploring. I also believe that teamwork the industry will grow multifold, which will in turn
is very important. Talent wins games, but teamwork benefit the country’s growth and employment.
paired with intelligence wins championships. The Those who focus on lean, automated, technological
markets have changed a lot. Without updated advancements and workforce development will see
knowledge and infrastructure based on customer bright opportunities.
demand, sustainability becomes impossible.

Modernization plays a crucial part in this industry, as

consumer demand drives new products at a rapid
pace. However, manufacturers and traders should
understand that in certain occasions, the demand
might rise or slow down, and they should prepare
themselves to embrace these changes positively.

Side Notes
Company Name
ASIAN FABRICX PRIVATE LIMITED
Founded
1974
Location
Karur
Founder
Mr.N. R. VENKATAACHALAM
Key Person
Mr.V.ASHOK RAM KUMAR
Industry
Handloom Textiles, Made-ups
Markets
Exports
Website
http://www.asianfab.com

51
 «The essential requirements for
sustainable profit as I see it are sufficient
funds, manpower, a good environment,
and adherence to new techniques and
technology.»
︱Titans of Textile

Mr. Susindran is the CEO of Kay Ventures, which produces

knitwear products predominantly for leading global brands

52
Kay Ventures
 Interviews
After I did my chartered accountancy, I started
Sabare International Limited, a mini-multinational
textile company. I ran the company for 20 years with
Rs 300 crores of sales at its peak. We leveraged an
innovative business model that offered complete
end-to-end solutions in textiles and apparel for
global customers and Fortune 500 retailers.

We mastered the forward

integration approach.
Sabare’s model introduced a paradigm shift in the
ways that we serve global brands, as it addressed
both cost efficiencies and value creation from a
customer stand point. We ran world-class facto-
ries in different parts of India, USA, and China that
upscaled our position to a strategic vendor with
retailers such as Walmart, IKEA, Target, and H&M,
just to name a few.

We mastered the forward integration approach.

Running a business with a sustainable profit is very
important, and it’s even more crucial for the textile
industry, where the trends and requirements are
constantly changin at a very rapid pace. The essen-
tial requirements for sustainable profit as I see it are
sufficient funds, manpower, a good environment,
and adherence to new techniques and technology.
I especially believe in that last point; technology
combined with experience can create wonderful
success. Other necessary components for success
include understanding your own strengths and
focusing on satisfying your customers.

53
 «The essential requirements for sustainable
profit as I see it are sufficient funds, manpower,
︱Titans of Textile

a good environment, and adherence to new

techniques and technology.»

54
I struggled hugely during the first 3-4 years when
I was starting Sabare. Patience and hard work are
what that brought me to this position. Rushing will
never bring you success—it takes time to lay a strong
foundation for a good business. Stick to the basics
for the first 3–4 years; the growth during this time
will be slow, but once your foundations and systems
are set, the resulting growth will be exponential.

My experience as a strategic partner coupled

with the history of building and running world-
class textile plants across the world has endowed
me with a rich knowledge and understanding of
global trade, resources, and the systems that drive
them. As the past Secretary of the Karur Exporters
Association and Chairman of the Confederation of
Indian Industries (CII) Karur Chapter, I’ve played my
role in shaping the textile destiny of the region. The
smart business owner who avoids short cuts will
too be able to reach such large heights.

Side Notes
Company Name
KAY VENTURES PVT LTD
Founded
2015
Location
Karur
Founder
Mr. SUSINDRAN
Industry
Knitted Garments
Markets
Exports
Website
http://kayventures.co.in

55
 «At the heart of our organi-
zation is the belief that we
must nurture and care for
our employees.»

Shri. K.P. Ramsamy, a veteran industrialist with 36 years of experience, is the

Chairman of KPR Mills Limited and an enthusiastic, well-spoken leader.

KPR Mills
︱Titans of Textile

56
Limited
 Interviews
I was born in a hamlet named Kaliyur, near
Perundurai. I grew up in an agrarian family—my
father was a tough, ardent agriculturist. After I
finished my schooling in Vijayamangalam High
School, I pursued my BA through distance colle-
ge, but later had to discontinue due to unforeseen
circumstances. I tried my hands at contract and
lorry businesses, but finally realized that the textile
industry was where my heart was at, and so that’s
where I settled down.
of product production per day in SIPCOT near
My father did not support me financially during Perundurai. During 2012, we magnified our ventures
my initial venture. I had to borrow Rs 8,000 from my with sugar mills in Karnataka, which now produces
maternal uncle. With determined willpower, I started 7,500 tons per day. Our aggregated turnover is 3,500
my business with just four power looms. It was an crores per annum.
unfaltering uphill battle…but my business eventually
expanded multifold. At the heart of our organization is the belief that we
must nurture and care for our employees. Being a
I supported my eldest brother, Mr. Sigamani, to highly responsible social contributor, I know that
complete his master’s in mathematics and my money is not enough. I realize the importance of
second brother, Mr. Natraj, to pursue his chartered education. For that reason, our organization paves
accountant aspirations. In 1984, after my brothers a great path for our employees’ families by offering
completed their studies, I joined hands with them in them educational opportunities, which we started
business. We began our journey in Coimbatore with doing in the year 1998. We also believe in environ-
an investment of six lakhs in power loom produc- mental responsibility and know the importance of
tion and then began exporting products. By 1989, planting trees. I have 1.5 lakhs of saplings planted to
we were thriving in business. We had come to be date for this reason.
number one in exports.

This success empowered us to expand and start a «My success is the result of
garment export business in Tiruppur. In 1996, we
started our own mill in Sathyamangalam with 6,000
outstanding support from
spindles, which tolled an investment of 8 crores, my family.»
and in the course of another two years, business
boomed. We increased to 8,000 spindles, then
14,000 spindles, then 30,000 spindles.

And the business kept on growing. In the early 2000s,

we had the opportunity to expand our spinning mills
to Karumathampatti with 30,000 spindles. In 2003,
in Nelambur, we had 50,000 spindles, and in Arasur,
100,000. By 2011, we had aggrandized to three and a
half lakhs of spindles total. We had 2,500 machines
in Arasur and 3,500 in Thekalur, totaling 70 tons

57
 My success is the result of outstanding support
from my family. Mr. Natraj now heads SIIMA as
the President of Purchase Management in the
accounting division. Mr. Sigamani previously led
the Tiruppur garment business with the extended
support of his son-in-law. Now, he also takes care of
30 construction units. In the year 2011, we started an
engineering college in Arasur that performs really
well. We also own an IAS academy through which 11
aspirants got into posting.

Our success story is amazing. But rest assured, we «My advice for small
had to face many challenges with heavy competition
in the beginning. Between the years 2000–2005, industries is to concentrate
things looked great for us, but by the end of 2005,
we had potential threats with e-auction and had to
on producing hard, quality
increase our productivity and expenditures. work—big industries cannot
accommodate small orders
like small-scale industries
can.»
︱Titans of Textile

58
My advice for small industries is to concentrate on
producing hard, quality work—big industries cannot
accommodate small orders like small-scale indus-
tries can.

From my experience, I feel that the future of this

industry is going to be evergreen since the increase
in daily wears will never reduce and will thrive in the
future.

Side Notes
Company Name
KPR MILL LIMITED
Founded
1984
Location
Coimbatore
Founder
Mr. K.P.RAMASAMY
Industry
Yarn & Garments
Markets
Domestic
Website
http://www.kprmilllimited.com

59
 MCR traces its origins back to the early 90s when brothers Sri. M.C. Robin,
︱Titans of Textile

Chairman of the group, and Sri. M.C. Rixon, Managing Director of MCR,
set out to build their now exceedingly successful enterprise.

60
MCR Textiles
 Interviews

«Even as children, we
brothers dreamed to be
industrialists.»

It all started with just a vision. Even as children, we

brothers dreamed to be industrialists. The person
responsible for allowing us to dream of such success
was our mother. She supported us to take on the
business. My father hails from a well to do family, he
came to Erode to start the textile business and had We kept asking ourselves how do we do things diffe-
to undergo a big loss which affected the livelihood rently to standout in the competitive marketplace;
of our family. We were born and raised in Erode, on so our customers will come back for more. We got
realising the family situation. constant advice and wisdom from my mother;
she wanted us to focus on delivering high quality
We took part-time jobs in the power loom textile products by keeping affordable price to consumers,
industries of Erode as teenagers and learned about the we also got great support from the entire family as
machineries, yarn and the fabrics. Despite our poverty, they supported the business to prosper.
our passions and dreams always remained a driving
force. Erode as a buzzing marketplace always stayed in That tireless work eventually paid off. Today, we
our hearts and minds and we always dreamt of being manufacture and supply products all over India as
part of the industry. We closely watched the trade in well as in Middle Eastern countries. Our brand is
the markets, customers visiting from the nearby states committed to delivering excellent, quality products.
and its activities. Even as a renowned brand, we manufacture
products at a low cost without compromising on
Moral support from our mother and industrial quality, thereby serving as an affordable brand for
knowledge from our father enabled us to begin our everyone.
humble journey in a small outlet shop during 1997.
And, being diligent, we worked tirelessly every day; The pivotal moment for MCR was when we first
we both use to get there around 6am for work and manufactured Narasimha dhotis for actor Mohanlal’s
start the packing, folding works before we receive new flim, we heard from sources that the new movie
customers and stayed late after business ends starring Mohanlal is going to use coloured dhotis.
to prepare goods for the next day. We never took We reached out with some samples and presented
sunday offs, and operated with less expenses to sell to the crew and it was immediately accepted;
our products at competitive prices. subsequently we stocked about 50000 dhoties and
planned to release about 2 weeks before the movie
releases.

61
 We reached out to our main wholesalers with the As leaders in management, we constantly encou-
dhotis; they were not excited about the idea of rage transparent communication and harmonious
colored dhotis and we had to promise them that we relationships with employees, which unites people to
will take back the unsold ones and requested them work as a team towards the same goal. We adopted
to place at least 100 dhotis per outlet. The movie software systems for billing and stock maintenance
was a great hit among the Keralites and the demand from the beginning, and strategies like fast decision
for the product rose exponentially, at one point we making to run the company in a professional way.
were supplying about 50000 dhotis per week and Our family stood as great support and we regarded
the trend went on for about 5 years. our employees as part of our family.

From then on, we started coming up with more novel We are persistent in transforming the traditional
and creative ideas to satisfy our customers’ needs styles to create trendy statements. We believe that
and expectations. It is that ingenuity and innovation success favors innovation and hard work.
that helped us navigate failures that we encounte-
red on the heavily competitive road to success. Our
untiring dedication and perseverance also helped
keep many loyal customers.

Our marketing efforts began with wall paintings, TV

advertisements, and naming products after popular
trends such as regional movie stars or movies to «It is that ingenuity and
attract customers. Over time, we had brand ambas-
sadors, who are now considered a part of the MCR innovation that helped us
family. The actors Sri. Mohanlal for Kerala and Sri.
Prabhu for Tamilnadu personally use and like our navigate failures that we
products. These connections link the reputation
of our brand directly to that of the star and build a
encountered on the heavily
positive image that customers appreciate. competitive road to success.»
︱Titans of Textile

62
Side Notes
Company Name
MCR TEXTILES
Founded
1995
Location
Erode
Founders
Mr. M.C. ROBIN & Mr. M.C.RIXON
Industry
Finished garments
Markets
Domestic
Website
http://www.mcrtextiles.in

63
 ︱Titans of Textile

64
Fabrics
65
 «As pioneers in the production of
printed lungi, we have guided small-
scale and newer entrepreneurs to
start up and find their own space in
this industry.»

Now we hear from an industry expert who had humble beginnings in Erode
before eventually realizing that the textile industry and uplifting his family
business were what really mattered to him.

K. K. Balusamy
︱Titans of Textile

66
&Co
 Interviews
I was born in a Kanakambalayam village in Erode. To keep up the textile business as our family legacy,
Growing up, I had dreams of becoming a doctor in 2001, my son Arun was also brought into the
and pursued my Pre-University (PUC) at PSG industry. Like me, he had different dreams. But to
Institutions. But my parents had other ideas regar- keep our legacy alive, he started his career at K. K.
ding my future. My father was a master weaver Balusamy & Co. As a newbie, he put himself through
who supplied raw material for 1,000 handlooms and training in various departments like production
received fabric outputs. During my PUC, he bought and marketing. The training and trials that he went
a commercial building in the center of Erode and through taught him about the industry and nuances
had me start working on it when handloom weaving of the market. He looks up to me as a father, and
faced a downfall due to the introduction of power now we work together to come up with new ideas
looms. for market development.

In the early 1960s, we got into roller printing, but the

fabrics were fading after a few washes. So the market
and clients demanded standard colors. We brought
in printed lungi production and used batik printing.
During 1965, the printed lungi became popular and
remained so for a few years. Over time, we updated
our batik printing technique with handmade artwork,
employing exclusive artists from Chennai. Then our
techniques evolved to include rotary printing. We
began exporting the lungi to Kerala, and from Kerala
they reached Sharjah, Dubai, and Ceylon. As our
production capacities increased, we reached new
markets in Tamilnadu, Kerala, Andhra, Karnataka,
Assam, and Mumbai, as well as a few other areas.

The city of Erode was developing with the textile

industry; we followed the developing trends by
creating new printing patterns in response. We
concentrated on lifting the market value of our
products by bringing in newer ideologies in patterns
and printing with new technologies. And because of
the demands in the market, we started adding the
products to our venture production.

As pioneers in the production of printed lungi, we

have guided small-scale and newer entrepreneurs
to start up and find their own space in this indus-
try. Even though we were the masterminds and
pioneers behind the printed lungi, we did not get
hold of patents or copyrights. We wanted to be easy
and compassionate with our fellow industrialists in
the textile industry.

67
 As I look to the younger generation, I see that many—
like me and my son in earlier days—are driving
themselves towards “smart work” to achieve what
they think is a good social state of living. I would
advise them to keep family legacies alive instead
and work to grow their family’s business. Leaving
causes family businesses to stumble, which is why
we should push younger minds toward different
fields of work and encourage them to keep legacies
alive. This will also give them the experience they
need to understand the difference between being
an employee and being an employer.

After being in the textile industry for so long, I can

︱Titans of Textile

say that I believe this industry is equally important

as the agriculture industry. The growth of clothing
usage and affordability has increased, and there
will be more updates in the fashion industry. Fellow
owners and industrialists should keep businesses
active and stay involved, as they will see more
growth soon.

68
Side Notes
Company Name
K.K.BALUSAMY & CO
Founded
1961
Location
Erode
Founder
Mr.K.K. BALUSAMY
Key Person
Mr. ARUN
Industry
Finished garments
Markets
Domestic
Website
http://www.kkbstore.com

69
 Four Seasons International is one of the largest manufacturers of home textiles
and is a force in Tamilnadu’s textile sector. For over four decades, the group has
been a leading textile exporter. They have created an impressive track record of
value creation in comparison with their industry peers.

Four Seasons
︱Titans of Textile

70
International
 Interviews
My thousand-mile journey in the textile industry
began with a single step in 1968 by my father, Sri.
Vaiyapuri Mudhaliar, a true altruist and courteous
person. Initially, my father worked as textile agent.
But with passion and a clear, focused vision, he
eventually started his own firm. Some people believe
that if you dream of being successful and want it
badly enough, nothing can stop you. My father is
one such person. For three years when he came
home from work, he used to study English, since
export trade deals were mostly made in English. My
father’s first export was to the United Kingdom. He
not only built and expanded his business but built a
formidable company in a short span of time.

«I was driven by passion

and perseverance to strive
for constant product
development.»

71
 Following the footsteps of my father, and under
his guidance, I joined the business in the year 1981
along with my brother. I was driven by passion and
perseverance to strive for constant product develop-
ment. From using handloom to high-productivity
power loom to autoloom production techniques,
the company has a long track record of highly
professional approaches while maintaining ethical
business practices and upholding our morals. We
have a diversified approach toward home textiles
and outdoor textiles, and we design our products
for warmth and comfort using eco-friendly dyes, as
we insist on socioeconomic sustainability.

Today, we export our products to the US, Japan, and

all over Europe. We’ve also made successful forays
into modern-day technologies in the textile industry.
This was made possible by my son, the third-ge-
neration entrepreneur of Four Season who is now
pursuing our next level of growth by committing to
adopt new technologies to provide a wider range of
products and better experiences for our customers.
His knowledge of and exposure to global markets
adds new growth perspectives to our company.

Future initiatives of Four Season International are to

implement technology wherever possible to meet
world-class standards. We also believe that develo-
ping quality products will put us ahead of our global
competitors. We seek customer satisfaction through
excellence in manufacturing and also implementa-
tion of plans from the government for the welfare
of the textile sector while preserving our natural
resources.

My advice to budding entrepreneurs is this: focus

on domestic markets to acquire in-depth knowledge
︱Titans of Textile

of the textile industry before trading internationally.

And while studying prospects, look beyond current
opportunities. Find partnerships that are based on
future values and sustainability.

72
 Side Notes
Company Name
FOUR SEASONS
INTERNATIONAL
Location
Karur
Founder
Mr. VAIYAPURI MUDALIAR
Industry
Home Textiles
Markets
Exports
Website
www.four-seasons.in

«My advice to budding entrepreneurs is

this: focus on domestic markets to acquire
in-depth knowledge of the textile industry
before trading internationally.»

73
 «Successful people keep
moving. Even when they
make mistakes, they
don’t quit.»

Vishal Bharath Textiles was established in 1972 and is now one

of the most renowned textile companies in all of India.
The founder, Mr. Murugesh, discusses his unique journey to
success, the importance of traveling, and his family values.

Vishal Bharath
︱Titans of Textile

Textiles
74
 Interviews
This is my business’s story. During the years
1974–1975, the textile industry experienced a lag
and huge losses. I, however, never accepted failure.
After all, stars can’t shine without darkness. I never
lost hope, and in the year 1976, my business slowly
started to rise again.

I regarded the customer as my boss. I made sure

that I understood my customer’s needs, caring
for my customers as assets and nurturing them. It
was during the years 1980–1981 that I extended my
business, enlarging my factory to produce a wide
variety of greige fabrics, and marketed mostly to
places north of India. For months, I traveled through
the cities and countrywide. Having good people
in your life is a gift from God, and I was blessed
during this time to have abundant good people
around me. This is the most important factor of
success in business—having good people around
you. Learning Hindi was one of the key advantages
I had to connecting with various buyers and having
a large market share in the U.P. and Bihar states. It
was during this year that I also entered the education
world. I am now one of fourteen trustees of Kongu
Institutions, Erode.

While traveling, I used to take my son Shiva along

with me during my holidays. Shiva has had a
passion for this industry from a very young age. After
completing his board exams, he pursued his higher
education in B. Tech textile engineering and later
completed his MBA from a foreign university. In the
year 2006, my son joined me in my business. Shiva
strongly believes that a man becomes complete
when he travels. Traveling helps you understand
different cultures, which is very important for this
industry. He traveled a lot extensively and met
buyers in person; this helped him understand the

75
 market and the pulse of the people. Now, Shiva calls up, with goals so strong that our obstacles, failures,
his workers his extended family. and losses serve as motivation. Having this attitude
helped me succeed.
Based on my experiences, I believe that achieve-
ment seems to be connected with action. A river cuts I also think often about how previously, there were
through rock not because of its power but because only four seasonal trends. But a season is comprised
of its persistence. In other words, successful people of three weeks of time, which means that 15–20 trends
keep moving. Even when they make mistakes, they exist. You can never predict the market or judge people.
don’t quit. A champion is simply someone who did Trends happen in the here and now, so it’s very impor-
not give up, and we are such champions, striving to tant to understand people and their current needs.
work hard through all obstacles that come our way.
Success in life comes when we simply refuse to give I foresee that the infrastructure of Erode will evolve
in line with industrial growth, which will provide
much-needed acceleration and sustainable support
functionalities for the textile ecosystem.

Side Notes
Company Name
VISHAL BHARATH TEXTILES
Founded
1972
Location
Erode
Founder
Mr. MURUGESH
︱Titans of Textile

Key Person
Mr. SHIVA
Industry
Fabrics
Markets
Domestic

76
«Success in life comes when
we simply refuse to give up,
with goals so strong that
our obstacles, failures, and
losses serve as motivation.»

77
 Shri M. Duraisamy explores his journey in the textile industry as a diligent,
well-respected leader and his techniques for establishing real, sustainable
relationships in business.

Surya Cotton
︱Titans of Textile

78
Fabrics
 Interviews
I was born into a middle-class family of agricultu- sheer willpower and determination. Years later, our
rists in Sankarnampalayam, a rural village situated friends moved out of the business, and I became the
between Kankeyam and the Dharapuram district. I sole proprietor.
completed my SSLC and moved to Tiruppur in the
year 1971 for PUC. I graduated with a Bachelor of I believe in maintaining authentic and valuable
Mathematics in the year 1976. relationships beyond business, which helped me
begin my magnificent journey in exports in the year
Before starting my prodigious journey in the textile 1996 with support from Navneet Lal & Co., Mumbai. I
industry in 1978, I took over my uncle’s job as a cattle traveled around Europe, especially to countries that
and poultry agent, but unfortunately, I lost all his had a large number of processing factories like Italy,
money due to an outbreak of disease in our livestock. France, and Belgium. High demand for the products
Even when the odds were stacked against me, I was made a stabilized growth for the progression of the
stubbornly unyielding. I was encouraged by my friend trade, and I expanded my business efficiently around
named Bluehill Kanthasamy, and as a result, I set foot Europe, USA, and Mexico. Years later, the company
on the power loom textile industry. faced a serious setback due to a drastic reduction in
Europe’s processing factories, but again, I refused
I was diligent and gained experience before setting to give up.
up my own manufacturing industry. I started my
striking expedition at 1989 with three of reliable
friends: Velusamy, Narayanasamy, and Bhaskar. «My secret mantra is
Without having machineries of our own, we started
our first supply and willed ourselves to succeed with “quality and cost.”»

79
 «I have witnessed the growth
of Tiruppur and proud to be a
part of it.»
︱Titans of Textile

How did I bounce back? I turned my focus on the Since then, I have excelled in international trade and
developing industry in Africa. I also took over the successfully achieved ‘Star Export House’ status.
processing factories, manufacturing clothes dyed in As an enthusiast, I actively participated in associa-
indigo that benefited the West Africans with protec- tion-related works that paved my way to becoming
tion from UV rays and resistance against harmful the Joint Secretary of the District Powerloom
insects native to Africa.
80
Manufacturers Association in 1996, and thereafter,
General Secretary of the association until present. I
am also a member of the export promotion council
of India and was elected as Vice-chairman of the Side Notes
council.
Company Name
It was my dedication that led me to become SURYA COTTON FABRICS
Chairman of the council, serving from Location
2014–2016. At present, I serve as Immediate Past
Tirupur
Chairman of PDEXCIL. I have witnessed the
growth of Tiruppur and proud to be a part of it. Founder
I foresee industrial challenges forthcoming, not only Mr. M. DURAISAMY
locally but also globally. I’ve put on my metaphorical
armor and await these challenges. Industry
Fabrics, Knitted garments
My secret mantra is “quality and cost.” The textile Markets
industry of India faces competition from organi- Exports
zations around the world, especially in China,
Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Hence, I anticipate good
support from the government to the textile industry.

81
 ︱Titans of Textile

82
Handloom
83
 ︱Titans of Textile

84
85
 Mr. P.R. Venketrama Raja speaks about the Ramco Group’s
Textile Division from its humble beginnings in 1938, the journey
so far; his succession to the group and advice he has for up-
and-coming industrialists.

Rajapalayam
︱Titans of Textile

86
Mills Ltd (RAMCO)
 Interviews

Sri P.R. Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha, the Chairman of

the RAMCO Group, built a formidable enterprise on
«We have succeeded due to
the foundation laid by his illustrious father. Under his our commitment to quality
dynamic leadership, the RAMCO Group has been
progressing to great heights in textiles. and customer satisfaction,
I succeeded P.R. Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha as plus our more than seven
Chairman of the Group. I’m proud to say that we
have a spindle capacity of around 400,000 with an
decades of spinning
annual turnover of around 175 million USD, deriving experience.»
60% of our turnover from exports.

We’ve also been successful in entering markets that

are conscious of high-quality products, like Japan.
Our long-term relationships with trading house
giants like the Mitsubishi Corporation and consu-
mers like Unitiki Limited and Doboko Limited are
standing testimonies to the high-quality yarns we
produce. We have succeeded due to our commit-
ment to quality and customer satisfaction, plus our
more than seven decades of spinning experience.

87
 At the inception of our group, we focused on spinning
and yarn, then later introduced value-added yarn.
We have been able to successfully run the company
from the 1930s until now because we were one of
the few employment generators in the area. It was a
mutually beneficial venture to us and others.

The current markets—domestic and global—are

highly competitive. There are rising global demand
and supply options from various nations. This
industry needs to plan meticulously for the future if
it hopes to be sustainable. We tackle that problem
by working hard with other brands in order to fulfill
their requirements and demands. In order to have
healthy relationships with our buyers, be competi-
tive, and stay in the game, we strive to add value
and new design solutions all the time.

My advice to young entrepreneurs and industria-

lists is that they should understand the way of the
market—it’s going to get even more competitive in
the future. I would say that small business houses
should form good ties with MNC and provide exclu-
sive offerings.
︱Titans of Textile

88
 Interviews
They should also understand that technology is
nowadays so pervasive in business. It has become a
commodity and can no more be leveraged by indus-
tries to achieve competitive advantage. It is just an
essential tool that you must have—because now,
everybody is technologically advanced! Businesses
are being forced towards automation, which is
a very expensive proposition, but the only way to
grow with the emerging demand and competitive
landscape.

The younger generation has less patience, in my

opinion—it seems they have no clear mindset and
are tied to social media. Those who will adopt more
systematic approaches and go against the norm will
be more likely to succeed in the workforce. And as
far as industries go, companies must be selective
and hire the right people and train them well to get
ahead.

Side Notes
Company Name
RAJAPALAYAM MILLS LIMITED
(RAMCO)
Founded
1938
Location
Rajapalayam
Founder
SRI P.A.C. RAMASAMY RAJA
Industry
Yarn
Markets
Domestic & Exports
Website
http://www.rajapalayammills.co.in

89
 «We believe that shifting
with the rise in technological
changes and refusing to give
up are the secrets to thriving in
this competitive environment.»

The roots of the Pallavaa Group date back to 1976 in the picturesque town of
Erode. Mr. Durai Palanisamy shares about the ethos of the company and their
road to success

Pallavaa
︱Titans of Textile

90
Group
 Interviews
My parents and extended family used to work in But it their vision and desire to reach new heights
handlooms in their early days and subsequently that has transformed this small-scale business to a
moved on to work in power looms as the transfor- renowned enterprise. The Pallavaa Group has been
mations has already begun. In 1976 they decided persistently present at the bottom of the supply chain
to start their own weaving venture with help from and has been responsible for significant changes in
a reliable friend, Sri. R. Pongiannan Gounder. In the textile industry. Being persistent, we stand out
1989 they established their business in spinning from the ordinary while still being grounded by our
and fortunate to have their yesteryear boss to come core value of quality.
support the venture.
I have had quite the journey as a second-genera-
The beauty of the region is that they come together tion entrepreneur. Following my father’s footsteps
to start business, sometimes two, three or even and driven by an entrepreneurial spirit; growing up
five people join hands to establish business; this in the textile family i was groomed in the trade and
mitigates the capital risks and reduces the capital mentored to pursue textile engineering. By 2000 i
requirement. It also helps in bringing in more ideas joined the business full time, the business landscape
and opinions to make where its hard to make any was changing and we had to adapt ourself quickly
mistakes as the idea or suggestion to undergo - we tried to focus on non-cotton, which was not
healthy deliberation among the partners. In 2007 a segment to have great demand in the domestic
the extended family ventured out to set up their market but we got good traction abroad.
business., my fathers and uncle began to take
Pallavaa forward.

91
 One point of time the business at UK & US were
dropping we sharted shifting gears towards the
domestic market. It was tough in the beginning but
we progressed well and the business started to pick
up

I believe that happy and united teams are able to

make great achievements. For that reason, the
Pallavaa Group works as a team along with our staff
to tirelessly to achieve our goals. The strength of
the organization lies in our diligent and trustworthy
staff members, some of whom have been working
for over 25 years. The group strongly stood against
all of the odds and major setbacks over the years.

The company has taken the fullest advantage

«But it is our vision and technology-based innovations and we were one of
the forerunners to implement Air Vortex spinning,
desire to reach new heights which and emerged as a peerless competitor in the
that has transformed this industry as a result. Consistent growth and confi-
dence to take on new technologies have helped
small-scale business to a our group attain higher levels of success. Now we
produce a various variety of yarns (Viscose, Modal,
renowned enterprise» Lyocell) in spinning, weaving and knitting. These
are supplied to both domestic and international
buyers, process houses and exporters. We are also
nominated as preferred source by some of the inter-
national buyers for their product requirements

Guidance from the preceding generations have

helped the younger generations on the board get
involved in the full spectrum of our business activi-
ties. The third generation of the Pallavaa Group
are also graduates of textile engineering. They are
︱Titans of Textile

trained from the bottom level and exposed to every

department of the company.

92
No matter what generation our employees are part
of, everyone at Pallavaa makes a continuous effort
to make values such as reliability, integrity, and
reverence the heartbeat of their existences. In doing
so, not only have our values been strengthened, but
also our business.

We’ve seen success, but also foresee future

challenges in the textile industry. We will further
break barriers with bringing in more technological
advancements to each department of the company.
Pallavaa will always experiment new things and
takes tall risks, however keeping in mind that these
risks are not made at the cost of existing business
and we are very careful about it. We always want to follow the values set by the
founders and be empathetic, honest and simple and
strive hard to build confidence and trust towards
both the internal employees and our customers.
«I believe that happy and
united teams are able to
make great achievements.» Side Notes
Company Name
PALLAVA TEXTILES PRIVATE
LIMITED
Founded
1976
Location
Pallipalayams
Founders
Mr. VS MUTHUSAMY,
Mr. VS PALANISAMY,
Mr. GM PALANISAMY
Industry
Yarn
Markets
Domestic & Exports
Website
http://www.pallavaagroup.com

93
 K. V. Srinivasan, Managing Director of Premiere Mills and an inspiration in the
textile industry, talks about the history of Premiere and the reason it turned out to
be such a successful enterprise.

Premier
︱Titans of Textile

94
Mills Pvt Ltd
 Interviews
It was a very pioneering effort by our founders to
put up spinning mills in a remote area where people
basically had backgrounds and experience solely in
agriculture. The first unit of Premiere was located in
«Being ethical, planning for Pulankinar near Udmalapet; it started with 10,000
the long-term, considering spindles and grew multifold. Now, that same campus
has a capacity of 120,000 spindles—that shows how
customers as our partners, our founders had foresight.

upgrading our technologies, In the beginning, Premier predominantly served the

domestic market. Later, they expanded to exports at
and maintaining our reputa- a time when yarns produced in India were not really
tion for quality products preferred due to their lack in technical ability.

remain our top priorities.»

Premiere Mills was founded by the late Shri N.

Damodaran, Shri V.N. Ramachandran, and Shri
L.G. Balakrishnan in the year 1949. From day one,
Premiere branded itself as a high-quality manufac-
turer. Quality, ethics, and supreme customer service
were the founders’ values.

During the 70s, the group grew and expanded its

product ranges from producing high quality yarn
and subsequently in the mid 70’s it diversified itself
to bring weaving, value added products, finished
products. Few years later we started manufactu-
ring divisions to produce textile equipments and
instruments for the manufacturing industries for
yarn and raw cotton testing and now we are one of
the leading manufacturer of production monitoring
systems in the country. After establishing ourselfs as
a leading supplier of yarn, we began our expansion
and ventured into finished products like dhotis until
the 80s and set out to become the leading expor-
ters in yarn, contributing to 80% of exports, later
emerging as forerunners in the fabric export market.
We were the leading suppliers of value-added yarn,
which was globally accepted as one of a kind in all
aspects in 40 different countries.

95
 Premiere Mills specialized in producing various
types of yarns being different from the basic yarns
of yesteryears. They built themselves up in a period
of 10–15 years. They invested a lot in welfare plans
for their laborers and in technical upgrades. Even
though it was difficult to manage, they had made
it possible, and has productivity has continued to
explode ever since.

In 1999, we started competing with countries like

Vietnam, Bangladesh, and China. We had a no-cost
or productivity advantage in India, but competitors
and customers remained unpredictable. China
always comes up with cheaper retail prices, for
instance. Texprocil was an response initiative to
promote cotton yarn and fabrics with pioneering
efforts.

We take our journey seriously by setting goals of

being competitive, promoting welfare, and making
products that have high values in the marketplace.
One challenge that we continue to deal with is
managing the low availability of workers. In the year
2010, we also challenged ourselves by endeavoring
to enter the sheeting business, manufacturing 8,000
sheets per day out of which 90% are exported to
outside of India. To this day, we still follow those
core values that our founders laid out for us. Being
ethical, planning for the long-term, considering
customers as our partners, upgrading our techno-
logies, and maintaining our reputation for quality
products remain our top priorities.

The textile industry is ever-flourishing due to

advances in automation and new concepts.
︱Titans of Textile

96
Side Notes
Company Name
PREMIER MILLS PVT. LTD
Founded
1949
Location
Coimbatore
Founders
LATE Mr. N. DAMODARAN,
Mr. V. N. RAMACHANDRAN,
Mr. L.G. BALAKRISHNAN.
Industry
Yarn & Fabrics
Markets
Domestic & Exports
Website
http://premiermills.com

97
 «I believe in teamwork
rather than dictating plans
to people.»

Raja M. Shanmugam, founder of Warsaw International,

reveals the crossroads of his life.

Warsaw
︱Titans of Textile

98
International
 Interviews

«Every loss is for good.

Every disappointment is for
your betterment. And yes,
you can get up.»
I am a first-generation entrepreneur in my family. I
hail from an agrarian family. My father was primarily
a cotton farmer, but also cultivated other seasonal
crops in good old Tiruppur, which, until the 1970s,
was more like an overgrown village. It had little of
the urban characteristics that it boasts today.

I studied at Bishop Ubagara Swamy School in

Tiruppur. When I did not get an engineering seat,
I decided to get my BA with ambitions of cracking
the IAS. After graduating in history from St.
Joseph’s College, Trichy, I left for Delhi in 1987 to
join a coaching center in order to prepare for the
UPSC exams. I was enrolled in the three-year LL.B
course at Delhi University and planned to acquire
a law degree while preparing for the UPSC exams.
I cleared the UPSC prelims in my first attempt but
failed in the mains.

I had many failures like this in my life. If you think

that you have hit a dead end and cannot get up, then
my experiences will give you a different perspective.
Every loss is for good. Every disappointment is for
your betterment. And yes, you can get up.
During the blooming years of the exporting industry,
My mother was the driving force in my attempt at pioneers made successes of themselves through
becoming an IAS officer. (I happily owe my entire sheer mental strength, and I was inspired by that.
success to my mother and family.) The experiences It was a period of time when technical strength
that I had during my preparation for the UPSC and monetary strength were lesser compared to
exams groomed and paved my way to becoming an determination. In yesteryears, small-scale expor-
entrepreneur with great insights. ters couldn’t make it as big as they can now. Since
I am a first-generation entrepreneur, I started from
scratch, which makes me stronger and more practi-
cal because I had the opportunity to learn from

99
 «I cannot emphasize
enough the benefits of
retrospective analysis.»

my mistakes. With exposure to UPSC, I learned to

accept my failures and gain knowledge from them.

Right from the first year, my venture was a profitable

one. In passing years, we bagged our first export
order from Textile Puttemans, a Belgian company.
The first order was huge. It was a good break,
and after that, we started getting more orders. By
1995–96, the turnover reached Rs 4.5 crore. So, we
planned to slow down our growth rate. We put our
︱Titans of Textile

gears in reverse and just catered to two customers:

Textile Puttemans and Tom Tailor. Within two years,
we achieved a healthy balance sheet. Then, instead
of ramping up, we chose to focus on a single client:
Tom Tailor. Until 2017, we were singularly, focused
“Tom Tailor,” but now, due to changes on the client’s

100
side, we’ve opened doors to other clients like Puma In the textile industry, business necessities are
and Marco Polo. increasing exponentially and constantly changing.
Since India is a leading cotton-growing country,
The domestic market is still growing swiftly, and leaders should create better plans to work on subsi-
monetary support from banks have given us a strong dies and taxes to become and represent ourselves
foundation for accomplishing growth in the textile as a prominent nation in the field of textiles. With
industry, all of which bodes well for us. changes in the taxing and subsidy systems, we are
still facing challenges. Thus, we must work hard and
I believe in teamwork rather than dictating plans to produce what the industry needs, which is to be
people. The urge and drive of our team has helped obtained with help from the government administra-
me grow and make better plans and decisions. I tion. Clothing and fashion play major roles in today’s
also believe that management should mentor their world, so I’m confident that the textile industry will
employees and work on improving the company never fall.
culture to inspire change and development in their
ventures. My words for younger minds and budding entrepre-
neurs are this: “discipline, devotion, and determina-
tion” will work wonders in your career and life.

Side Notes
Company Name
WARSAW INTERNATIONAL
Founded
1989
Location
Tirupur
Founder
Mr. RAJA M SHANMUGAM
Industry
Knitted Garments
Markets
Exports

101
 «Our aim is to improve the
livelihood of people in the
handloom industry»

Ramraj has been consistently delivering quality products since its inception.
Sri. K. R. Nagarajan, vividly shares his triumphant journey
︱Titans of Textile

Ramaraj Cotton
102
 Interviews
I was born into a farmer’s family in the beautiful
village of Kaikattipudhur of Avinashi. I did my schoo-
«I pushed past nay-sayers
ling in Avinashi, but wasn’t interested in my studies. and went against the grain in
In fact, I failed my SSLC exams. But I proved that
every failure is a stepping stone for success. business.»
anyone. I named my business ‘Ramraj’, combining
Being a commerce student, I worked in the marke- my own name along with Sri. Ramasamy, my
ting department of Vijayalakshmi Kadhi Enterprise. father’s name.
As a result of my talent and hard work, I was quickly
promoted to higher levels of work, and had the I bought fabrics from weavers for double the
opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and
price that they were paid in the market so that
get exposure to the life of a laborer. weavers could have their basic needs such as food
and clothing. I pushed past nay-sayers and went
I witnessed what the weavers had to go through. against the grain in business. Ramraj was the first
They would wait for their wages without eating from brand to remove the conventional dhoti logo and
morning until evening. This affected and impacted print brand names on the dhoti.
me. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. After gaining
some more experience, I set out to start my own
business, one that would improve the lives of these
weavers. Though I had family members in textile
exports, I started my expedition in dhoti manufac-
turing without moral and financial support from

103
 This made our brand popular among customers. Building transparent organizations based on hard
My business was successful, and many weavers work, finance, productivity, management, and good
benefited from it, which was wholly satisfying to me. advertising are the five things that every business
needs to do to reach phenomenal achievements.
Because the dhoti is more traditional, most people Honesty and tax compliance are also virtues of
prefer to wear pants. I’ve faced many insults and successful businesses.
have been disrespected for wearing dhoti. But I
turned this personal pain into growth, strategizing I’m a follower of Yogiraj Shri Vethathri Maharishi,
and planning to develop trademarks for dhoti. I who has changed my perception and transformed
advertised my personal humiliation in a positive my life. I contribute some of my profits to the Ulaga
way, which has helped Ramraj reach its level of Samudhaya Seva Sangam.
excellence.

Abolishing poverty is the motto of our group. I

advise others to see poverty as an opportunity for
employment and encourage entrepreneurs to work
to abolish it.
︱Titans of Textile

104
Side Notes
Company Name
RAMARAJ COTTON
Founded
1983
Location
Avinashi
Founder
Mr. K. R. NAGARAJAN
Industry
Dhoties & Garments
Markets
Domestic
Website
https://www.ramrajcotton.in

105
 Machines Evolution
︱Titans of Textile

106
107
 ︱Titans of Textile

108
109
 «The textile industry is an
evergreen industry. I consider
the opportunity to be a part of it
as a gift from God.»

Shri. A. Kulandaivel Mudaliar was a visionary founder with a rich legacy.

His son, Mr. K. Vinayagam, the Managing Director of SCM Textiles,
shares his journey and thoughts.

SCM
︱Titans of Textile

110
Textiles Spinners
 Interviews
As a child, I often observed my father when he was
weaving. In the year 1962, my father took his woven
«It’s also very important for
dhotis to Madurai and sold them, this paved the way our business to pay attention
for a wonderful future.
to updates in global trends.»
We owned and maintained a small shop that was
around 200 square feet where we sold woven dhotis.
It was a shop that we cared for dearly. Compare that
to today. Now, we have 40,000 direct employees Each showroom is about 1 lakh square meters.
working for our organization. My father was a We have around 15,000 dedicated employees
lively personality who started his business buying working in the retail division. Our Tiruppur garments
products from a wholesaler and retailing them, and unit manufactures T-shirt’s with about 20,000
his practices serve as a model for us even today. employees in 5 huge units. We also own a spinning
mill in Coimbatore, which we had started with 15,000
In the early days of our retailing business, we had spindles, but now have multiplied to 80,000 spindles.
10–15 small khadi shops in B-towns of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, we have a dyeing unit in Erode.
In 1991, we laid the foundation for our magnanimous
journey, inaugurating Kumaran Silks in Tiruppur, Our strengths and values are tied to our family
which was a humongous success. We also began structure. I am part of a family with 8 brothers and
a new venture with jewelry showrooms that same 4 sisters, making 12 of us total. Our monumental
year. We then opened branches in Coimbatore in success is due to our hard work and honesty.
1996, in Erode in the year 2000, and more in Chennai
in the year 2001. We renamed our venture Chennai In any industry, a lot of manufacturers struggle due
Silks and now have 25 huge retail shops. to the cost of the production cycle, raw materials,
and maintenance. But we have found a way to get
around that struggle by reaching out to the right
manufacturers. When we bring a manufacturer into
our company and make close ties with them, we
thrive in our business. It’s also very important for
our business to pay attention to updates in global
trends, as trends have helped us create strong and
capable customer bases in the last 10 years.

111
 Our major exports, which are taken care of by my
younger brother, are centered around the United
States. We always find inspiration from foreign
buyers.

Over the years, quality has been our utmost consi-

deration. Our strongest flourishing base is found in
the retail industry. We use advertisements as part of
our marketing strategy because we want to ensure
our customers that our products are high-quality.
As a result, huge masses of people are inclined to
buy our products because they are economical and
sold ethically. Of course, it’s also very important to
maintain financial discipline in today’s world with all
of the competition that’s out there.

The days have changed since India desired products

made from 100% cotton. Many new blends of
materials are now sought after in this market. Still,
globally, India has established itself as a leader in
manufacturing textiles with 7–8% of contribution
after China, who contributes a majority with 30%.
The potential in local markets is very important
because of this, and we welcome the extensive
support that the government gives us.
︱Titans of Textile

112
My advice for small-scale industrialists is to invest
wisely, only after scrutinizing their decisions careful-
ly, and to embrace merging with big industries as a
part of modernization. Growing industrialists should
also value being uniquely themselves and constant-
ly work on self-improvement.

The textile industry is an evergreen industry. I consi-

der the opportunity to be a part of it as a gift from
God.

Side Notes
Company Name
SCM TEXTILE SPINNERS
Founded
2003
Location
Coimbatore
Founder
SHRI.A. KULANDAIVEL MUDALIAR
Industry
Yarn
Markets
Domestic & Exports
Website
http://www.scmspinners.com

113
 Mr. Sivasamy, Managing Director of Shobika Impex, is a first-generation
entrepreneur, here he shares his story.

Shobika Impex
︱Titans of Textile

114
PVT LTD
 Interviews

«Our method for success lies

in upgrading technology.»

In the year 1989, I completed my college studies in Over the course of 15 years, we became an unan-
textile engineering. I then started my endeavor in nounced monopoly in the domestic marketplace,
business with a bank loan of a lakh in the following where we had begun pricing exports at almost 550
year. The industry in Karur had options in the textile, crores INR. Our exports are geard toward African
mosquito net, dyeing, and body building industries, countries, as well as places like Orissa and Madhya
but I chose to work in the mosquito net industry. We Pradesh. (This is also a government requirement for
produce a one-of-a-kind, long-lasting mosquito net our products.)
with insecticide, which is approved and recognized
by the WHO (World Health Organization) in the In the year 2000, the industry upgraded to a revolu-
pursuit of eradicating malaria. tionary change introduced in Japan with Permethrin
injections. This inspired me to begin a business
with a new concept. After we had begun exporting
in the 2000s, we made a technical upgrade to the

115
 machinery that we had purchased from Japan to
produce high-quality products.

Then we purchased a US-based brand called

Duranet. By 2010, we had increased our business to
10 crores, which had been aggregated to 50 crores
and in another 5-6 years’ time, manifolded to 500
crores.

The need for our product increased as the death

toll due to malaria had risen, and its price had come
down due to huge competition. We had seen a
300 percent growth in a period of 5 years, which is
unachievable without a joint effort.

Our method for success lies in upgrading technolo-

gy. I feel that old technology is something that’s diffi-
cult for a business to survive with. I advise upcoming
industrialists to invest wisely and understand the
needs of their businesses before they start them. It’s
also very important to be unique in business.

Government support has been immense—loans

have been made easily available and subsidies were
also offered by the government. I believe strongly in
today’s generation.
︱Titans of Textile

116
Side Notes
Company Name
SHOBIKAA IMPEX PVT LTD
Founded
2009
Location
Karur
Founder
Mr. M. SIVASAMY
Industry
Insecticide Incorporated Bed Nets
Markets
Exports
Website
http://www.shobikaaimpex.com

117
 M.S. Mathivanan, Chairman of SSM Group of Institutions,
shares his history with the textile industry along what
the country should do to continue to thrive in textiles.

SSM Academy
︱Titans of Textile

118
Of Textile
 Interviews
I grew up in Kumarapalayam, a town in the Namakkal
District. I grew up with textiles. My grandfather and
«Textile maunfacturing
my father laid our roots in this businesss, and my dad companies in India should
started his first textile business in Sri Lanka at the
age of 14. Subsequently, he exported many products producing precise, high-tech
from India to Sri Lanka, especially to Yalpanam
(Jaffna). He marketed dhotis with the brand name weaving machines and make
‘YaalMark’ to attract local customers, which was a
huge success. Today, the brand is popularly known
it available in the domestic
by the name ‘Veena’. market»
The textile industry moved from handloom to power
loom technology to increase output and decrease Its core objective was to increase production from
product cost, so that final products could become the region and supply for the global market demand.
affordable. Power looms have many advantages, I believe that more parks should be launched to
including lower production costs through increased accelerate our production. We have about 65 lakhs
production capacity, big-width fabrics, shuttle of handlooms in the country and 30 lakhs of power
automatic looms, water jets, and auto jet looms, looms, but only 1.5 lakhs of auto looms. To increase
which enable us to produce more. output, we must focus on bringing in more auto
looms as well.
We proposed the idea of the ‘Cauvery Hi-Tech Park’
in Kumaralapalayam to the government and succee-
ded in this effort. Thus, a High Tech park emerged.

119
 Looking at today’s global scenario, countries buy times the labor cost as compared to India. They are
fabrics based on their needs and for luxury and able to outscore us by focusing on productivity. For
fashion purposes. Fabric consumption in India is example, an employee in China produces 24 pieces
15 meters per person, whereas America consumes on average, whereas an employee in India only
100 meters per person. Fabric requirements are produces 9 pieces. Though the quality in India is far
growing because of more consumption per capita. better than in China, the major buyers choose China
For example, people have about 100–200 shirts in for its output and competitive rates.
European markets compared to us—we have an
average of 15 shirts. A good market possibility awaits We have to be prepared for our future by bringing in
us if we focus on increasing value-added products. more machines, as we lack the technology needed
to compete with other countries. The quality of
Countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Taiwan, our production should be improved too. Machines
Pakistan, and China are doing extremely well in should be manufactured in India in the first place.
the industry. Bangladesh buys fabric from India Companies should make this their prime goal:
and exports their garments to the world, by which producing precise, high-tech weaving machines for
︱Titans of Textile

means, they are ahead of India in terms of exports, the Indian textile industry.
production, and quality. Moreover, they also have
duty concession to the European markets. Vietnam Training and skill development must be tailored to
showcases knitted and woven fabrics. Thailand and people from various industries, and the government
Indonesia are making quality garment fabrics and should train people—especially weavers—so that
exporting them to the other countries as well. But production and targets are achieved along with
China still holds the advantage, even with three quality.

120
 India has a unique advantage, however. We are
number one in the world in terms of design, marking
skills, fabric quality, and home textiles, which are
generally from Karur and Chennimalai. Home Tex
also has a very good global market potential.

India is the land of textiles. It has a history of saints

who first extracted fabrics from the stem of the lotus
and presented them this way to the world. I’m proud
to be born into such a historically famous land.

Side Notes
Company Name
SSM ACADEMY OF TEXTILE
MANAGEMENT
Founded
1993
Location
Komarapalayam
Founder
«I’m proud to be born into such Mr. S.S.M. SUBRAMANIAM

a historically famous land.» Industry

Textile Industry, Educational
Website
http://www.ssmprocessing.com

121
 Late Mr Manikam Ramaswami was the Chairman and
Managing Director of Loyal Group is a multi-faceted
conglomerate, providing an array of products and
services for textile and apparel industries.

Loyal Textile
︱Titans of Textile

122
Mills
 Interviews
Late Mr. Manikam Ramaswami was the third genera-
tion of his family and helm of the Loyal Group. His
flagship Loyal Textile Mills is a BSE-listed, 1100-crore
company with a wide product range that includes
spanning yarn, fabric, garments, and home textiles.
He had a huge hunger for technology and automa-
tion. He was always the first to buy new technolo-
gies and test them out. The following is an extract
from one of his corporate talks.

It all started in the early 1800s when Sir Ed Sasson

established Loyal Textiles with spinning and weaving
mills. In the year 1953, Kalaithanthai Karumuthu
Thiagarajar Chettiar, the doyen of the South Indian
Textile Industry, purchased the mill, and ever since
then, it has been growing steadily with cutting edge
technologies and always remains very advanced in
terms of textile industry technologies.

We are mainly concerned with the way that we

create wealth and conduct our business. We don’t
mean just being legally compliant in all of our
practices—we mean that we are guided by our

123
 philosophical understanding of business as well as As a global manufacturer and an exporter of quality
the laws. We follow certain patented processes that products, the Loyal Group stringently adheres to
we have institutionalized, which has helped us gain international quality and employs best practices
the global recognition that we have today. Because from all around the world. We have been recognized
of our governing compliance policies, which have globally for our quality management, environmental
to do with our management systems, environmen- management, and safety- related measures, and for
tal compliance, and social compliance, we were the this reason, we stand out from the rest of the world.
first textile business in Asia to be awarded the IMC
certification.

Loyal is on a mission to become a large-sized textile «We are mainly concerned

company. This is why we aim to conduct our business
ethically and comply with environmental policies in
with the way that we create
ways that far exceed basic requirements. It is our wealth and conduct our
vision to become the largest garment producer in
India and continue to grow at a rapid pace. business.»
︱Titans of Textile

124
Side Notes
Company Name
LOYAL TEXTILES
Founded
1956
Location
Kovilpatti
Founder
Mr. KARUMUTHU THIAGARAJAR
CHETTIAR
Industry
Yarn & Fabrics
Markets
Domestic & Exports
Website
http://www.loyaltextiles.com

125
 Shri. A.C. Eswaran, the patriarch of leading hosiery companies Vikings
and Anand shares his experiences and challenges of building a
successful business In the textile industry

Viking Textiles
︱Titans of Textile

126
Private Ltd
 Interviews

After thoroughly studying all aspects of the industry,

I started Anand Hosieries in the year 1964, creating
the brands Anand & Viking in the upcoming years
through persistent efforts. By the year 1976, we
established our first factory in Tiruppur. After the
launch of Viking, we reached every part of India.
Consequently, in the year 1984, we started a
bleaching and dyeing unit in Tiruppur, and in the
year 1996 we opened Viking Textiles Private Limited,
a spinning mill in Tiruppur that expanded our range
of products to dhotis, menswear, and kids wear.

Our success lies in the evolution of changing trends.

As evolution happens, we expand our products.
For instance, youngsters these days have moved
away from wearing vests—Vikings and Anand carry
t-shirts and leggings in exchange, to meet these
market demands. We concentrate more on domestic
sales rather than exports. This is how we’ve created
a huge market for ourselves in India.

My ideology behind concentrating only on domestic

sales is this: I wanted to focus on creating a name for
ourselves in the marketplace by offering products of
high value to drive customer loyalty. Whenever we
developed products, I concentrated on basics like
perfect fit, comfort, high-quality fabric, fine stitches,
and pricing products reasonably. I only focus on
maintaining the quality of our products and keeping
ourselves updated with customer needs by upgra-
ding our facilities and workmanship. Sustainability
and high-quality stand for generations as strong
pillars of a company. Once a Viking customer, always
a Viking customer.

127
 «Sustainability and high quality
stands for generations as strong
pillars of a company.»
︱Titans of Textile

128
I strongly feel in the first 5 years of a business Creating a brand and developing brand loyalty is
startup, budding entrepreneurs should be let by the a very tough exercise. Sustaining these things are
administrators and governing bodies to focus on even harder to do. But the joy it brings when you
developing quality products and understanding the realize that you have put out a quality product and
market instead of focusing on following strict norms customers happily associate with it? That’s worth it
and running behind daily errands. The business
policies they set should enable them to focus on
their work and allow them to govern in a healthy
way without losing any time.

In today’s evolving market, organizations should

only choose to expand after thoroughly studying
the market demands. All mistakes and pitfalls can
be eliminated with well-planned moves. Automation
is one of the most effective ways to sustain in this
industry, but it also comes at a high cost. You need
to think through a decision like that.

I still recall a piece of advice that I was given by a

Japanese manufacturer in the early 80s. We were
attending a machinery fair, and the Japanese were
showcasing their new machines that they had just
introduced to the market. To compete with global Side Notes
leaders, they offered the machines at a 30-40%
lesser price. They positioned their products as Company Name
an alternative to their competitors—they never VIKING
positioned them as superior or better than any
competitor. They asked us to consider them for their Founded
low entry value and to use them for 5 years before 1963
dumping the machines and upgrading for new ones. Location
Tirupur
Back in those times, we invested in quality machines
and used them for many years, as the investment Founder
was higher. But the manufacturer’s idea was an Mr. A.C. EASWARAN
instant hit in the market—everyone upgraded, as
they had a point. Investing in high-priced machines Industry
is risky since technology changes at rapid pace. That Innerwear Garments
idea is a game changer for us. Now, we upgrade our Markets
machines and tools at a rapid speed. Domestic
Website
http://vikinginside.com

129
 «Watching my dad live and
breathe textiles while I was
growing up motivated me to
join the same line of work.»

Mr. Anbukani is the Managing Director of Penquin apparels, he shares his

journey towards building a world class facility in Madurai to manufacture and
export products to brands like Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren and many others

Penguin
︱Titans of Textile

Apparels
130
 Interviews

I finished my post-graduate in 1985 at PSG

Institutions, Coimbatore. Even during my studies, I
«Now, we work with key
had a strong desire to start something of my own. players like Timberland,
So, after finishing my studies, I joined a company
as a management trainee and worked for about 6 Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren.»
months. Subsequently, I joined our family business
where my uncles worked with automobiles.

My father had about 45 years of experience in

textiles and was working for a leading cotton mill,
Thiagaraja Mills Limited. Watching him live and
breathe textiles while I was growing up motivated
me to join the same line of work. So, drawing inspi-
ration from my father and his years of experience, I
decided to enter the textile industry. But I wanted to
do something different to differentiate myself in the
marketplace.

Ready-made garment requirements were growing

at that time, there were also a lot of challenges
related to that industry. I believed in this simple idea,
however: that challenges are potential opportuni-
ties. In 1989, wanting to better understand the trade

131
 and prepare myself for what was to come, I began
working in a garment factory in Bangalore.
«I believed in this simple idea,
however: that challenges are
After a while, I returned to Madurai to lay the road
map for my own company. I discussed my plans potential opportunities.»
with leading industrialists and experts, and they
suggested that I look at Chennai or Bangalore as
locations to establish a factory and attract visiting
buyers. They thought that Madurai was an isolated overheads. The key factor is to think differently. My
place, and potential customers might not visit me, advice is to focus on complexities in areas where
and that I wouldn’t have access to international opportunities lie versus looking at this kind of
markets being in a Tier 2 city. But I wanted to givebusiness as an impossible challenge. We focused
something back to the place where I was born, to on the international market initially as we didn’t have
the place that raised me. So I started my company a big brand and aligned ourselves to the quality
there anyway. expectations of international brands. Now, we work
with key players like Timberland, Hugo Boss, and
In 1991, I started Penguin Apparels in Madurai with Ralph Lauren.
about 40 people. Our first project was for about 35
Lakhs, and we fairly did well. But we still faced a We’re located in a suburban area and most of our
number of hurdles and difficult situations like the employees have received very little education, but
experts had said I would. When I reached out to their spirits are higher—they are eager to work
buyers, they would ask, “Why should I visit your and learn quickly—and they have shown great
place when we have so many options in places like participation.
Chennai and Bangalore?”

I started pondering ways to embrace these kinds of

challenges. I decided that in order to open oursel-
ves to international customers, we needed to do
something different.

Initially, we started with shirts. Later, we invested in

equipment to focus on bottom manufacturing, which
gave us an edge. Back in those days, very few people
had machines for bottom manufacturing. Slowly, we
got into outerwear, ski jackets, and some specialty
products. Eight or ten of our family members joined
hands with us to be part in the business, and soon
︱Titans of Textile

we had about 2,000 people, which I regard as a

strong driving force. Now, we employ 3,500 people.

We proved everybody wrong by operating in a small

town like Madurai - we reached the world. Now,
companies in Tier 1 cities are looking at Tier 2 or
3 to cities to reduce their cost of operations and

132
All you have to do is establish a clear communi-
cation line with your employees, teach them what
is required of them, and they will be equipped to
handle any kind of project in the company. Today,
all of our staff members know international bench-
marks, quality expectations, quality norms, and
work safety practices.

There are many advantages to setting up industries

in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The Madurai region in parti-
cular has got great potential: a good ecosystem, great Side Notes
manpower, a port, an airport, and connected roads.
More industries should come to Madurai. Invest and Company Name
help generate more employment opportunities as PENGUIN APPARELS (P) LTD
well as more balanced economic growth.
Founded
1990
Location
Madurai
Founder
Mr. A. MARIAPPAN
Industry
Apparels
Markets
Exports
Website
http://www.penguinapparels.com

133
 «It was an instant hit:
moving closer to the market
resulted in more sales.»

JVS Exports are leading manufacturers and exporters of home textiles. They
are a fourth-generation family business originating from the parent company
︱Titans of Textile

C. Swaminatha Mudaliar Sons, which was established in 1931. Mr. M. Britto, Partner in
JVS Exports, shares his story.

134
JVS Exports
 Interviews

I was born and raised in Madurai where I grew up It was an instant hit: moving closer to the market
in a textile family, which gave me the opportunity to resulted in more sales. Subsequently, my father was
experience textiles firsthand from a very young age. brought into the business. Over the years, sales
I used to come to my family’s shop during my school accelerated. The business had become a profitable
days on my annual vacation and work in almost all venture because they delivered quality products at
departments, earning wages from my father. With affordable prices.
my earnings, I traveled in the last 15 days of my
summer holidays. The initial focus was on turkey towels made from
handlooms. Madurai used to be the only hub that
My great grandfather had two handlooms in Erode. manufactured them. Soon they saw an emerging
He worked all night to make bedspreads. During the demand in Mumbai and Kolkatta markets, so they
day, he marketed the products. Slowly, he increased tried sourcing the materials from local manufactu-
his number of looms to about 200 at one point, and rers in Madurai and selling to the buyers and retai-
in time he eventually moved to Karur. His initial lers. Eventually, they got in touch with some export
focus was to serve the southern markets where traders who wanted to source products from them
these products were in demand. and exported to traders in the UK and US.

My grandfather later came into the business and A commerce graduate, I entered the business in
established our first retail store in Madurai to sell the year 1978. We were getting more export trade
directly to the consumers of the southern region. contacts and had increased our supply to fulfill the

135
 new requirements. Things were going just fine. Somewhere along our journey we realized that faster
Then, we experienced a setback in 1986. We had service delivery is the key to future success, so we
to undergo a big loss in one of our export orders. opened offices in the US and UK to cater to the inter-
We regrouped ourselves and decided to launch our national buyer requirements. We hired designers
own product brand line in both the domestic and from the same markets to collaborate with our
international markets. We removed the middlemen in-house designers and developed products with
between us and the end customers and started high-design expertise that meet the preferences of
working directly with customers. I believed in my customers from around the world.
confidence. The fire inside me drove me to push
myself toward success. I had a huge family legacy Our efforts and my hunger to be successful gave
to live up to and always aimed to achieve one step me the motivation to reach the top. Now, our global
higher than what they had achieved over the years. reach has widened, and we supply to more than 25
countries. Our customers include Fortune 500 retai-
We started a new state-of-the-art facility in Karur lers and world-leading stores. Over time, we have
and invested in Italian shuttle looms to improve the made changes to our infrastructure, machineries,
quality of our production, which attracted talent and other key divisions of our company to cater to
along the way. It made our foreign buyers very international brand expectations. In doing so, we
confident in us, and they looked at us as partners inhave transformed ourselves and become a company
growth. Our efforts earned us the best international that exceeds global standards.
supplier awards from prestigious retail chains like
Wal-Mart and Tesco; we won the awards by compe- My suggestion to business owners and young entre-
ting with the world’s leading manufacturers and preneurs is this: Businesses have to face fasting and
supplying materials to global leaders. feasting periods. One should accept this fact, and
with this in mind, still work hard to achieve their
dreams.

«We have
transformed
ourselves
and become a
︱Titans of Textile

company that
exceeds global
standards.»

136
Side Notes
Company Name
JVS EXPORTS
Founded
1978
Location
Madurai
Founder
Mr. M. BRITTO
Industry
Home Textiles
Markets
Exports
Website
http://www.jvsexport.in

137
 «At the heart of our organization is the belief that
we must nurture and care for our employees.»

Shri M. Nachimuthu is the Chairman of Atlas Group of Companies.

From his humble beginnings in Karur to becoming one of the leading
exporters of home textile products, he shares the secrets of his success
and advice for budding entrepenurs.

Atlas Export
︱Titans of Textile

138
Enterprises
I was born in a small village near Karur. Only 25
families were living there at the time. Agriculture
was the major activity. I remember there being no
electricity during my school days, and I how used
to walk to school and get back to the field in the
evening to support my parents in agriculture. Our exposure to international markets began when
we started visiting the Frankfurt textile fair. We’ve
In 1965, I finished my diploma in mechanical never missed one to this day. It gives us a platform to
engineering and wanted to set up a workshop in showcase our products to potential buyers and gain
Chennai. But these plans fell through, so I joined our more export contacts.
relative Mr. Ramanathan to make plans to open up
an electrical shop with a capital of Rs. 15,000. My By early 2000, my friends left and started their
father was not so positive about how it would turn own companies. At the same time, my son Senthil
out, but he agreed to help by giving me by giving Prasath joined me—he had just finished his studies
Rs. 10,000. we ran the shop with fair success for in London. Upon his arrival, we began modernizing
about 10 years. the facility and added more products to cater to
a wide variety of international buyers. In the year
During 1975, the export industry in Karur was 2005, the government of India sanctioned 40 tech
witnessing early growth with about 10 companies parks of which Karur had its share. We developed a
focusing on home textile exports. Growing up in the world-class park of the highest quality, named one
region, I was always passionate about the textile of the best parks in the country in 2011.
industry and had the urge to get into it from a very
early age. I joined hands with 3 friends and started
a home textiles company, focusing on the domestic
market for about 3 years. Soon, with the guidance
of some friends and contacts we had acquired, we
started our first export with an initial order of Rs.10
Lakhs. After experiencing some initial success, we
remained persistent and saw steady growth over
the years.

139
 We started working even harder and offered our Today’s business owners should take risks, but the
buyers products of very high quality. We offered right ones. They should learn the basics of the trade
design solutions and timely delivery at a competi- thoroughly and believe in themselves, as the world is
tive price by building a strong team of professionals filled with opportunities. One should seek out those
who understood the requirements and demands of opportunities and work hard to achieve success.
our clients. That increased our buyers trust in us. We Entry to the industry has become more expensive,
established an international standard facility of 2.5 so one must take calculated risks, but with challen-
lakh square feet in Karur along with a spinning mill ges there is a potential for great rewards.
of 4 lakh square feet and a modern dyeing facto-
ry to integrate all of our manufacturing processes The future of textiles will not be without its challen-
seamlessly. Our hard work has paid off; last year, we ges, so industry leaders should start developing new
successfully reached about 175 crores. products, working with buyers, trying new fabrics,
and bringing in innovations by value additions—
whatever they can do to stand out and stay one step
ahead of the game.
︱Titans of Textile

140
Side Notes
Company Name
ATLAS EXPORT ENTERPRISES
Founded
1978
Location
Karur
Founder
Mr. NACHIMUTHU
Industry
Home Textiles
Markets
Exports
Website
http://atlas.in

141
 ︱Titans of Textile

142
Cotton to Yarn
143
︱Titans of Textile

Yarn to Fabric -
Weaving
144
 Yarn to Fabric -
Knitted Garments
145
 ︱Titans of Textile

146
 www.titansoftextiles.com

Editor & Art Direction

Sundarji Nandagopal - Clear Estate, Chennai
Design
Mathilde André, Paris
Proofreader
Steph Spector, New York
Photography
Vijay, Chennai

147
www.titansoftextiles.com